Latest news with #SEHU
CTV News
26-04-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Total number of measles cases surpasses 1,000 in Ontario
The total number of measles cases has surpassed 1,000 in the province, according to Public Health Ontario (PHO). PHO says the total number of cases is 1,020, noting that over the past week alone, it grew by 95 cases. The cases are associated with an outbreak linked to travel from New Brunswick. Fifteen public health units in the province are affected. There are no confirmed cases of measles in Ottawa. 'The sharp 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,' PHO says on its website. On Friday, the Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU) confirmed its first local measles case. It says on its website the measles case was confirmed in an unvaccinated resident who travelled within Ontario, noting that this adult individual is currently isolating and following the necessary public health measures. As a precautionary measure, the health unit is asking residents who were present at the following locations to take note of possible exposure on April 15: Renfrew Victoria Hospital's Emergency Department, located at 499 Raglan St. North, from 1p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and its Diagnostic Imaging centre (if you had an X-Ray, ultrasound, CT scan, echocardiography, bone density scan, fluoroscopy, and/or ECG) from 4:50 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. No Frills, located at 680 O'Brien Rd, Renfrew, from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Those residents are asked to check their vaccination records to make sure they have two doses of measles vaccine (MMR or MMRV). They are asked to call the RCDHU at 613-732-3629 or 1-800-267-1097 if not vaccinated and monitor for symptoms. The health unit says people who were born before 1970 'would likely have had measles as a child and are protected.' The South East Health Unit (SEHU) reported new cases of measles exposures in three different locations in Picton, Ont., Bloomfield, Ont. and Trenton, Ont. earlier this month. It also warned residents of possible exposures in Kingston, Ont. and Bellville, Ont. Health units say measles is very contagious, and easily transmissible by air, adding that it 'can result in complications such as diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia. Rarely, measles can cause brain infections and death.' Symptoms begin to surface seven to 21 days after exposure and include fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness, and red eyes, says the SEHU, noting that 'small white spots appear on the inside of the mouth and throat but are not always present.' 'Three to seven days after symptoms begin, a red, blotchy rash appears on the face and then progresses down the body,' reads the release. Here's what to do if you develop symptoms: Stay home and do not attend work or school. Call your health-care provider. If you need to go to a clinic or other health-care setting for care, it is important to contact them ahead of time to avoid inadvertently exposing others. You may also call SEHU's Infectious and Communicable Diseases Program at 613-966- 5500, extension 349. More information about measles is available here.
CBC
13-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Measles cases in Hastings County triple in a week amid largest outbreak in 30 years
Social Sharing The number of measles cases in Hastings County has risen to 32, more than triple the number reported by local health officials just one week ago when they first confirmed an outbreak of the highly contagious disease. In an update on Thursday, the South East Health Unit (SEHU) urged residents to make sure their immunizations are up to date amid the largest measles outbreak in Ontario in 30 years. All of the Hastings County cases involve people who had never been vaccinated against the disease, according to the health unit. SEHU previously said the first positive case in the region was an unvaccinated adult who travelled within the province. As of Thursday, Ontario had reported a total of 372 confirmed and probable cases provincewide, the SEHU stated, including outbreaks declared by 11 public health units. "Measles is incredibly infectious," said Dr. Ethan Toumishey, medical officer of health for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH), in an March 6 interview with CBC's All In A Day. He said the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the room, adding the disease "can have very serious health consequences." Measles symptoms can appear between one and three weeks after exposure and include fever, coughing and a runny nose, along with red, watery eyesr. That's followed by a "very dramatic" and characteristic blotchy rash starting on the face and spreading down the body, according to Toumishey. In its update Thursday, SEHU provided the following advice to anyone planning to visit the Grand Erie or Southwestern Public Health Regions: Infants between six and 11 months should receive one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, with two additional doses after they turn one. Children between the ages of one and four who have received their first dose are encouraged to received a second as soon as possible. A second does of MMR vaccine is also recommended for adults born on or after 1970. The media release included a quote from Dr. Piotr Oglaza, the SEHU's medical officer of health, describing the vaccine as a safe and effective way to reduce the spread and prevent "severe outcomes."
