Elgin-Oxford measles cases surge for second straight week
Southwestern Public Health, the health unit that oversees Oxford and Elgin Counties and St. Thomas, is reporting 65 news measles cases since April 24 as of Thursday. The 65 cases is the largest seven-day increase since the health unit's epidemiology team began tracking weekly case counts on Feb. 27, health officials said. As of Feb. 27, the health unit had recorded 85 measles cases dating back to October 2024 when the outbreak began.
During a virtual news conference on Thursday, Ninh Tran, medical officer for Southwestern Public Health, said the past week's measles case count was 'certainly a noticeable rise,' and attributed the cases to a cluster of unvaccinated individuals.
'This sharp rise in cases may be concerning to the community,' Tran said. 'However, the majority of these cases are part of a group of cases we are investigating that are linked to one another.'
Tran continued: 'This is good example of how quickly measles can spread in groups where there are unvaccinated individuals. It is not uncommon to have increased number of cases reported after exposures in large households between siblings and other family members.'
The increase in measles cases marks the second straight week the disease has spiked after a drop in cases. The health unit had recorded its lowest seven-day count with 15 cases between April 10 and April 17, followed by 28 cases between April 17 and April 24.
Southwestern Public Health has updated its recorded measles case count from seven to 15 cases between April 10 and April 17. However, 15 cases remains the lowest seven-day case count since the health unit began tracking weekly figures in February.
Thursday's report brings the total measles cases recorded by Southwestern Public Health to 451, accounting for about 35 per cent of the province's 1,243 cases Public Health Ontario was reporting as of April 29.
There's a slight discrepancy between Public Health Ontario and Southwestern Public Health because the provincial agency records its data a day earlier.
Southwestern Public Health's rate of cases per 100,000 people is 181 while the overall rate in Ontario is 7.9 cases per 100,000 people, Public Health Ontario said in its updated epidemiological report released on Thursday.
The province's numbers jumped by 223 cases between April 23 and April 29, Public Health Ontario said in its report.
'The increase in the number of outbreak cases and the geographic spread in recent weeks is due to continued exposures and transmission among individuals who have not been immunized,' the report said.
Southwestern, Grand Erie (Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand), Huron Perth and Chatham-Kent account for 71 per cent of Ontario's cases.
As of Thursday, Middlesex-London Health Unit has reported 28 cases, officials from the public health office stated, noting most of the cases were 'clusters among unvaccinated individuals.'
Tran said about 7.8 per cent of the cases reported by Southwest Public Health have resulted in hospitalization.
'I do want to highlight that measles can result in complications . . . including hospitalizations,' Tran said.
Measles symptoms include a red rash, fever, cough, runny nose, upper respiratory symptoms, red eyes and fatigue. Serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness and death are possible.
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