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Situation Update No. 1 Ref.no.: EH-20100331-25532-CAN
Situation Update No. 1 On 2010-04-03 at 03:04:17 [UTC] Event: Epidemic Hazard Location: Canada Province of British Columbia Vancouver Island Victoria Number of Infected: 12 person(s) Situation: A recent outbreak of measles in the Lower Mainland has health officials on the alert. The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says 10 confirmed and four suspected cases of measles have been identified in the past two weeks. More than half the cases have been linked to a single family with unvaccinated members. One case was spotted in a visitor returning from India to B.C.'s Interior. The measles cases have been linked to at least two out-of-country visitors in February or early March. Two separate strains have been identified. Anyone susceptible to the disease would have developed measles by now if exposed to the imported cases, says the centre's immunization director, Dr. Monika Naus. No one who's fallen ill had received two doses of measles vaccine, which is needed for full protection. The overall risk to the general public remains "very low," said Naus, because most kids routinely receive the vaccine between their first and second birthdays. "Most years, we see no cases of measles in B.C. because our vaccination rates are high," she said Tuesday. "Nevertheless, these cases show that, with global travel, even a vaccine-preventable disease -- as rare as measles is now in Canada -- is still only an airplane ride away." Measles is highly contagious through airborne contact and causes fever, runny nose and cough. Days later, a rash develops on the face and spreads to the chest and limbs. Sore, red eyes and sensitivity to light are also symptoms. Those who think they have measles should phone a doctor or HealthLink B.C. at 811, rather than drop into a clinic or emergency room and risk infecting others. | | | |
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