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Ottawa Citizen
08-05-2025
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
More measles cases in Ottawa likely as counts grow in Ontario, around world
A week after Ottawa Public Health confirmed the city's first measles cases in six years, an infectious disease specialist is warning Ottawa residents to expect more travel-related cases. Article content Article content 'I think people should be prepared for potentially further cases to occur in Ottawa. With so much international travel, it wouldn't be surprising to see further cases that have been acquired internationally or in other parts of Canada,' said Dr. Eric Eckbo, a medical consultant on The Ottawa Hospital's infection prevention and control team. Article content Article content Last week, OPH confirmed cases in an adult and child who became infected while travelling internationally. There have been no reports of any new cases in Ottawa since then and the risk to the public is considered low. Article content Article content But, amid a large and growing outbreak in Ontario, health officials remain on high alert for more cases of measles and pressure is growing on the provincial government to do more to prevent the spread of the highly contagious illness. Article content On Thursday, Public Health Ontario reported 197 new cases in the past week alone related to a large outbreak traced to a gathering in New Brunswick last fall. Since October, there have been a total of 1,440 Ontario cases related to that outbreak, largely among infants, children and youth who were not vaccinated. Article content The bulk of the cases have been centred in parts of southwestern Ontario that are now considered high risk for travel by public health officials. The outbreak began in a Mennonite gathering. Article content The Ottawa cases are not connected to the Ontario outbreak, but rather are among 12 cases in the province since the beginning of 2025 linked to travel as opposed to domestic spread. An additional 37 Ontario cases had no known source of exposure. Article content Article content The large and ongoing outbreak of a vaccine preventable illness has been the focus of opposition parties at Queen's Park this week. Article content NDP leader Marit Stiles called on the provincial government to take action to get the outbreak under control, saying she was shocked to hear both Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones defend their records on the issue as cases continued to climb by the hundreds every week. Article content 'In the face of the worst outbreak in decades, the government's approach is clearly not working,' Stiles said. 'We need real leadership and a serious plan to protect people.' Article content Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, has said in interviews that the province will likely continue to see the spread of measles until summer. Article content Ottawa Public Health officials have said they are confident vaccination levels are relatively high in Ottawa, which will help prevent community spread. Routine vaccine coverage has dropped across Ontario for a number of reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of primary caregivers and the growth of vaccine hesitancy.
Ottawa Citizen
02-05-2025
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
Potential measles exposures in Renfrew, Outaouais and Ottawa
Article content A patient or patients who were later diagnosed with measles spent hours in the emergency department at Renfrew Victoria Hospital on April 15, potentially exposing others to the infectious disease and prompting a warning from local public health officials to those who might have been exposed. Article content Article content Both Renfrew and Ottawa have identified two measles cases in recent days amid a province-wide outbreak that has now infected more than 1,200 people. Article content Article content On Thursday, Ottawa Public Health confirmed two cases of measles — the first since 2019 in the city — in an adult and a child from the same family. The infections are believed to be the result of international travel. OPH is asking people who might have been exposed to check their vaccination records and monitor for symptoms. In Ottawa, potential exposures were at Costco near Blair Road between 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. on April 23 and at Food Basics at 1021 Cyrville Road on April 21 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Article content Article content Outaouais public health officials have also warned of a possible exposure by the Ottawa patients at Éco des champs farm located at 482 Eardley Road, Gatineau, Quebec, on Easter Sunday, April 20, in the morning. The risk, they said in a release, is low. There are no cases in the Outaouais. Article content The risk in Renfrew, for those who are not protected by vaccination or previous infection, is potentially higher. Measles is highly infectious and can remain in the air for up to two hours after a person who is contagious has left the room. Article content Article content In a release, Renfrew and County Public Health confirmed the two cases in the Renfrew County area and said the public may have been exposed at two locations — Renfrew Victoria Hospital and No Frills on O'Brien Road in Renfrew. Article content Article content The hospital exposures were on April 15 at two locations inside the hospital — the emergency department between 1 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and diagnostic imaging between 4:40 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Article content The No Frills exposures were later on April 15 between 8:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Article content The public health unit is asking those who were potentially exposed to check their vaccination records or have a blood test for proof of immunity to measles. Two doses of measles-containing vaccines are required for immunity, but people born before 1970 are generally considered protected because they likely had measles as a child. Article content People who are not protected are being asked to contact the health unit and to stay home. Even those whose vaccinations are up to date are being asked to monitor for symptoms and to contact their caregiver before going if symptoms appear. Those who have an infant under 12 months who is not vaccinated, who are themselves not fully vaccinated or who are severely immunocompromised are asked to contact local public health (613-732-3629 or 1-800-267-1097) immediately.
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
Did you visit Food Basics or Costco last week? Ottawa health unit warns of possible measles exposure
Ottawa Public Health has confirmed the city's first cases of measles since 2019 amid a province-wide outbreak that has now topped more than 1,200 cases. Article content Article content Two Ottawa residents, an adult and a child, are believed to have acquired measles when travelling internationally, Ottawa Public Health said Thursday. No other information has been released. Article content But others may have been exposed. Article content Article content The health unit is warning people who were at Food Basics grocery store at 1021 Cyrville Road on April 21 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Costco at 1405 Blair Towers Place on April 23 between 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. that they may have been exposed to the measles virus. They are being asked to monitor for symptoms for 21 days following possible exposure. Article content Article content Public health officials are directly notifying people who might have been exposed but issued a public service announcement for those they are unable to reach. OPH says it might expand the list as its investigation continues. Article content Measles is highly contagious and can spread easily through the air to people who are susceptible, even hours after an infected person has left the premises. The measles vaccination is both safe and highly effective. The majority of people who have been infected with measles in Ontario during the record outbreak this year were not immunized. Article content The fact that the cases identified in Ottawa are believed to be the result of travel-related exposure means there has been no confirmed local spread in the city, but OPH says the investigation is ongoing. Article content Article content Ottawa Public Health, the city, CHEO, other local hospitals and physicians have all been on alert for measles in recent months as the number of cases in the province continued to grow. One emergency physician said it was only a matter of time before the infectious disease arrived in the city, considering its spread in the province and around the world. Article content Two more cases of measles, the area's first, have also been confirmed in Renfrew County, according to Public Health Ontario (PHO). Article content There have been a total of 1,242 cases of measles confirmed in Ontario since January 1 – the largest outbreak in decades of an illness that was considered eliminated in Canada because of high vaccination rates. Of those 1,242 cases, all but 36 were linked to a multi-jurisdictional outbreak that began in October during a Mennonite gathering in New Brunswick. Between October and May 1,243 measles cases in the province were linked to that single outbreak. Article content Although there appeared to be signs that the outbreak and spread of measles was losing steam in Ontario, Public Health Ontario is reporting 223 new cases in the past week alone. That does not include the two cases identified by Ottawa Public Health. Two new health units, including Renfrew, were also added to the list of regions with measles cases, which is now up to 17. Ottawa's cases, which are not part of the PHO report, bring that total to 18 health units encompassing much of the province.
CTV News
01-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Ottawa Public Health confirms first cases of measles since 2019, lists possible exposure sites
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is reporting the city's first confirmed cases of measles since 2019. In a news release Thursday, OPH said the cases affect an adult and a child, both of whom are believed to have acquired the infection while travelling internationally. OPH did not say where they had travelled. OPH says individuals who visited the following locations on the dates and times below may have been exposed to the measles virus: Food Basics located at 1021 Cyrville Rd., Ottawa, Ont. on Monday April 21, 2025, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Costco located at 1405 Blair Towers Pl. (near Ogilvie Road), Ottawa, Ont. on Wednesday April 23, 2025, between 6 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. 'This public service announcement is for those who we are unable to reach directly or for whom no contact information is available. At this time, the risk to the general population remains low,' OPH said. Anyone who attended the listed locations at the specified times is asked to monitor for symptoms of measles, even if vaccinated, for 21 days—until May 12 for the Food Basics exposure or May 14 for the Costco exposure. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, white spots in the mouth, and red watery eyes that may be sensitive to light. OPH says a few days after symptoms begin, a red rash usually develops that starts on the face and spreads down the body to the arms and legs. This rash usually lasts four to seven days. Symptoms generally last from one to two weeks. 'If you develop symptoms, call your health care provider and notify them of your recent measles exposure. This will help to protect others and allow health care providers to prepare for your visit. If possible, wear a medical grade mask to the appointment. This applies to any medical facility, including your local emergency department,' OPH says. 'If you do not have a health care provider, please visit Health811 or call 8-1-1 to connect with a registered nurse for free, secure and confidential health advice. Service is available 24/7 and available in English and French, with translation support also offered in other languages.' 'Please note that this investigation is ongoing; new locations, dates and times may be added, modified or removed as the investigation continues,' OPH says. Ongoing updates will be posted at . OPH has set up a phone line at 613-580-6744 that will operate based on call volume from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. OPH urging vaccination Measles is highly contagious, but preventable with vaccination. OPH is urging everyone to check their vaccination records for measles-containing vaccines to ensure they are protected. The measles vaccine is typically noted as 'MMR', 'MMRV' or 'M' on records. 'The measles virus lives in the nose and throat of a person who is infected and can be spread through the air (from breathing, coughing, or sneezing); and can survive in the air or on surfaces for up to 2 hours,' OPH says. Ontario is currently in the grip of a major measles outbreak, with more than 1,000 cases reported across the province. Public Health Ontario says the geographic spread in recent weeks is due to 'continued exposures and transmission among individuals who have not been immunized.' All adults born in or after 1970 in Ontario can receive two doses of Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine through a healthcare provider. Adults born before 1970 are generally presumed to have natural immunity to measles and may not require vaccination if considered to be low risk of exposure. A one time dose of MMR vaccine is publicly funded (no cost) for this age group through a healthcare provider. Children in Ontario are expected to receive two doses of a measles vaccine before the age of 7, as part of routine vaccinations, but many children have fallen behind on routine immunizations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children without the required vaccines to attend school could be suspended under Ontario's Immunization of School Pupils Act. OPH said in mid-April that the number of 7-year-olds missing one or more required vaccinations has gone from 70 per cent to 24 per cent this school year and the number of 17-year-olds without the vaccines required to attend school has gone from 59 per cent to 34 per cent. Family doctors and walk-in clinics offer vaccines, OPH says. Call ahead of your visit to make sure that the vaccine is available. Families of children and youth facing barriers to immunization can visit an OPH clinic offering routine childhood vaccination.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opioid use among kids in Grades 7-12 doubled in 2 years: OPH
The number of children in Grades 7 to 12 using opioids in Ottawa roughly doubled from 2021 to 2023, according to recent data from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and the Centre for Mental Health and Addiction. Ten per cent of those students reported using the highly addictive drugs without a prescription in 2021, according to OPH's presentation last Monday to the city's board of health. In 2023, the most recent year data was available, that number jumped to 20 per cent. It mirrors an Ontario-wide trend, with the percentage for that group jumping from 13 to 22 per cent over the same period. "It's disappointing to hear, but it's not surprising," said Paige O'Leary, who would once have been included in that statistic. Now 24 and sober, O'Leary became addicted to opioids as a teenager living in Kanata. "Just knowing how bad it was when I was in high school, I just can't even imagine how bad it is today," she told CBC. Several local parents also said they're not surprised by the increase. Calla Barnett, who attended last week's meeting as a delegate, said she's "known for quite a while" that opioid use is rising. Her child, a Grade 7 student, has been offered drugs on the street, she said. "I just don't have words [for the fact] that they're exposed to those things so young," Barnett said. "I'm pretty angry." 'There's just no help' Paige O'Leary's story reached the headlines in 2017 after her father Sean wrote an open letter about the drug problem among young people in the community. After it went viral, he tried to advocate for solutions to the opioid crisis, while connecting with other struggling parents. Part of the problem, he said, is that families even now feel lost trying to navigate a system not designed to treat kids with addictions. "There's just no help," he said. "And there's still not." Calla Barnett said the news of rising opioid use among students in Grades 7 and 12 doesn't come as a big shock, noting that her own child in Grade 7 has been approached by people selling drugs. (CBC) When Sean O'Leary tried to get help for his daughter, he found that addictions treatment services weren't usually designed for children — and that children's services weren't usually designed to manage addiction. "First thing [parents] do is call CHEO," he said, referring to eastern Ontario's children's hospital. "Unless your kids tell them they're going to harm themselves or kill themselves, there's nothing CHEO can do. They just let them back out." To help his daughter break her addiction, Sean O'Leary said he, his wife and his mother-in-law spent three or four days with her at home, watching over her 24/7. There was nowhere in Ottawa to "get detox for a minor," he said. Paige O'Leary said she remembered long waiting lists to access psychologists and other types of support. "I'm so lucky to have had my own family to help navigate the system," she said. "Because I can't imagine going through that without them." Sean O'Leary said that even now, parents of children struggling with addiction feel lost trying to navigate the health-care system. (CBC) But parents don't have to navigate that system alone, said Trisha Islam, the director for infant, child and youth work at United Way East Ontario. Parents facing a "complex case" should seek professionals like school guidance counsellors who are connected to the larger network of support and health-care providers, she said. "Let them navigate the system for you, but come into the system so that we can support you," she said. There's also mental health and addictions counselling available for students in every public high school in Ottawa, Islam added, as part of an initiative dubbed Project Step. Prevention efforts needed For Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante, who attended the board of health's meeting as a delegate, her priority is to ensure kids never turn to drugs in the first place. "When I go to the OPH website, I do not see anything about prevention," she said, noting she'd like to see information available for parents about how kids get drugs and what kinds they're accessing. Barnett and another mother, Anya Fraser, told CBC they were concerned about ensuring drugs from a safer supply site don't reach children. Several experts have told CBC, however, that the evidence doesn't support the idea that those drugs end up in the hands of young people. As for Paige O'Leary, she mostly bought drugs from her peers, adding that schools should pay more attention to figure out which kids are selling them. She also said she didn't know how dangerous those drugs were. Talking more to kids about drugs — and how alcohol can serve as a gateway — would help, she said. Today, O'Leary still sees a counsellor at Pathways, a treatment centre in Renfrew County. They're a "huge support," she said. "Even though I'm sober," she said, "I still do struggle sometimes." READ | Data presented to Ottawa's board of health
