Ontario measles outbreak crosses 1000; Quebec, New Brunswick declare infection over
Ontario
is facing a massive medical scare with outbreak of measles overwhelming its public health infrastructure. The most populous province of Canada has 1,020 measles cases, with 884 infected people as confirmed cases while doctors classify the remaining 136 as probable. While there have been no deaths, 76 infected people have been hospitalized including seven who had to be admitted to the intensive care units.
#Pahalgam Terrorist Attack
Pakistan suspends Simla pact: What it means & who's affected
What is India's defence muscle if it ever has to attack?
Can Pakistan afford a full-scale war with India?
The rapid spread of the infection in Ontario comes just a few days after the measles outbreak in another province - Quebec was declared to have come to an end. Quebec, which shares its borders with Ontario, reported the first measles case in December 2024 and was declared over after reaching 40 in mid April 2025.
But the situation is far more grim in Ontario where the 'cases are only going up', according to Liberal public-health critic Adil Shamji. Addressing a a press conference on Thursday (April 25), Shamji added, "The last time that we had an outbreak like this in Canada, Google search hadn't been invented yet and Brian Mulroney (1984 to 1993) was our prime minister."
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Play War Thunder now for free
War Thunder
Play Now
Undo
Canada's first measles case was in New Brunswick in October 2024. The infected person had travelled to the region carrying the virus. By January 2025 the total number of cases in New Brunswick had reached 50 after which the public health authorities declared the outbreak over.
Measles has been reported from Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Alberta health officials have reported 129 confirmed cases till April 25.
Live Events
Ontario's 15 public-health units have reported measles but the worst-affected are Southwestern Public Health, Grand Erie and Huron Perth. The three units together account for over 600 infections till date.
According to the official data , Ontario reported less than 10 percent of the cases between 2013 and 2023, but the situation took a turn for the worse in late 2024 and 2025.
While a highly contagious disease, measles is usually not a serious medical condition except infants and small children. It can affect anyone but can be easily prevented by getting vaccinated. Once infected, the person develops life-long immunity to the disease.
The measles virus spreads through the air by droplets produced during coughing or sneezing by an infected person. The symptoms take about 10 to 14 days to manifest. They are cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and a red, blotchy skin rash.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
IIT-Madras eyes global top 50 with major expansion plans
NEW DELHI: Indian Institutes of Technology and IISc are unlikely to break into the list of world's top 50 universities unless they run full-fledged medical colleges, IIT-Madras director Professor V Kamakoti has said, revealing that the institution is considering setting up a medical college to overcome this gap in its portfolio. In an exclusive interaction with TOI, Kamakoti said IIT-M has already begun internal discussions on establishing a medical college, which would be integrated with its engineering and science departments, as part of its long-term vision, and is looking for a large hospital. Further, the institution has planned a global outreach through its proposed research centres in Dubai, Malaysia, and Germany and a sustainability campus in Puducherry, another important parameter for global rankings that Indian institutions lag on. In what's an unconventional move, IIT-M has formalised a platform to help its students prepare for civil services exams. 'If you want to come into top 50 (in global rankings), you must have a medical school,' Kamakoti stressed, adding, 'The top-ranked universities all have global campuses, deep-research collaborations, and, critically, medical schools'. He added: 'This is not just about rankings — it's about enabling convergence in areas like AI in healthcare, biomedical engineering, and public health. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 새로 나온 '실손보험' 최적가 비교가입! "월 보험료 줄이고, 보장은 더 든든하게"... 굿리치 보험대리점 (등록번호:제2006038313호) 가입하기 Undo A medical college will amplify our research depth and societal impact'. On the plan for developing a sustainability-focused campus in Puducherry, the director said, 'This campus will be a living laboratory for climate, water, and energy research'. Explaining the move, he added: 'Sustainability is now a global benchmark in rankings. That's why we've started School of Sustainability under School for Interdisciplinary Studies. It's aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Every project must resonate with these goals — from green tech to zero-emission housing. Auroville collaborations in Puducherry are a part of this vision'. To expand global footprint, the institution will go for research collaborations and set up satellite centres in Dubai, Malaysia, and Germany. These will encourage Indian researchers to work on global problems and offer Indian students cross-border learning. 'It's called IITM Global,' Kamakoti said, detailing the vision behind the international outreach. 'If you solve an issue for India, you've solved it for the world. Our IITM Global will take these to Malaysia, Germany, Dubai (by this academic year), and beyond.' Kamakoti also highlighted IIT-M's initiative to nurture engineers for civil services. To enable this, institute has created Pragati, a platform to guide and support UPSC aspirants on campus. 'We want our students to start early — during BTech or MTech — with structured preparation, peer interactions, and access to faculty and civil servants who've walked that path,' he said. 'We're not just a tech school anymore — we're shaping India's future in several ways,' Kamakoti summed up.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Maval MP raises issue of denial of Ayushman Bharat benefits by hospitals with Nadda
1 2 Pune: Shiv Sena MP from Maval Shrirang Barne has raised the issue of hospitals denying treatment under the Centre's Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) with Union health minister J P Nadda . During his visit to Delhi on Wednesday, Barne met Nadda and submitted complaints received from citizens who were allegedly refused treatment despite being eligible under the centrally-sponsored health assurance scheme. He informed the minister that although 148 hospitals in Pune district were currently empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, several of them have been turning away patients, undermining the core objective of the scheme launched in 2018. Though the issue had been raised multiple times with the local authorities, the MP decided to take it up directly with the Union health minister as the problem persisted across several regions. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune The MP said that Nadda took immediate cognizance of the matter and directed his secretary to look into the complaints and take suitable action. "The minister has also assured that strict action will be taken against hospitals denying treatment to eligible patients under the scheme," Barne added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The objective of the scheme is to provide quality and free healthcare services to poor and needy citizens. Last year, the govt also approved inclusion of all senior citizens above the age of 70 under the scheme. The scheme provides health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation, benefiting many from economically weaker citizens across the country. Barne said that denial of treatment not only violated the directives of the central govt but also infringed upon the health rights of senior citizens. As a result, many elderly people in Pune district were unable to access timely and adequate medical care, putting their lives at risk. "Strict legal action should be taken against hospitals not implementing the scheme. Immediate instructions must be issued to all empanelled hospitals in Pune district to mandatorily implement the scheme. Additionally, a monitoring mechanism should be established to ensure that senior citizens receive treatment under this scheme in a smooth and hassle-free manner," he said.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
GMCH launches app to help students manage epilepsy
1 2 Guwahati: The neurology department of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) launched a new mobile application on Friday to support students with epilepsy. The app aims to help them manage their condition more effectively and stay connected with their doctors. The initiative is part of an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-funded project named 'Tele_ESSI'. This project is simultaneously being implemented in govt medical institutes of Punjab and Nagpur as well, making it a pan-India collaborative effort to improve epilepsy care and awareness through school-based interventions. The application was launched in the presence of 60 teachers from different schools of the Kamrup (Metro) district. ICMR's principal investigator (PI) Marami Das and co-PI Mehzabin Haider Hazarika led the launch. "The younger generation is our future. We have launched this initiative to protect them and ensure a better quality of life. Of every 1,000 babies, around five are diagnosed with epilepsy. Having adequate knowledge about the condition is crucial, as timely awareness can save lives. As part of the project launched last year, we visited 71 different schools in Kamrup (Metro) and screened over 10,000 students. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like USDJPY đang đi lên không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Among them, 53 students were found to be epilepsy-positive, while 353 others were identified with various other medical conditions," said Marami. Highlighting the importance of awareness, Achyut Baishya, principal cum superintendent of GMCH said even medical students have been diagnosed with epilepsy, but with proper knowledge and timely treatment they have been able to manage their condition. He emphasised the need to dispel social stigma and superstitions that still surround epilepsy. "With this app, individuals with epilepsy can book appointments and stay in contact with the medical faculty and healthcare staff, ensuring better support. Additionally, the app will help them gain preliminary knowledge about the condition, including how to manage seizures, follow treatment plans, and understand the importance of medication adherence," Baishya said. Director of elementary education Suranjana Senapati, inspector of schools & district elementary education Deepika Choudhury, GMCH principal Achyut Baishya, HoDs of the departments of paediatrics and neurology of GMCH Anupama Deka and Munindra Goswami, were present at the launch.
