Ontario reports ‘small decline’ in measles, 89 new cases

Ontario is reporting 89 new measles cases over the last week, bringing the province’s case count to 661 since an outbreak began in the fall.

That’s compared to just over 100 new cases last week and 120 the week before.

Dr. Sarah Wilson, a public health physician at Public Health Ontario, said numbers “look to be stabilizing somewhat in the range of around 100 cases a week.”

“But, I also want to be really clear – that’s still 100 cases a week too many of measles,” Wilson said Thursday.

Wilson said there were 52 hospitalizations – 10 more than last week – including three in intensive care.

“There is this, I think myth, among some individuals that measles is a harmless, trivial, mild infection,” she said.

She also said measles cases still predominantly involve unvaccinated children in Ontario’s Southwestern Public Health unit, which accounts for almost 45 per cent of the province’s cases.

The number of cases in Quebec remained at 40 for a third week, while Alberta’s count reached 24, according to data released Wednesday. Saskatchewan health officials issued a public notice Monday of an increased measles exposure risk, with three cases in the province.

In Waterloo Region, two additional locations have been added to the list of potential public exposures to measles.

One is the Woolwich Community Health Centre in Wellesey on March 25 between 5:15 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The other is John BM Martin Manufacturing in St. Clements on March 24 between 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. and March 26 between 6:40 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

More details on the potential exposures can be found by clicking here.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said last week that the province’s measles outbreak is likely to continue into the summer, but the stable rate of new cases is a sign of hope.

Dr. Kieran Moore also said the “vast majority” of Ontario’s measles cases are in Mennonite, Amish and other Anabaptist communities.

Public health units keen to share information have enlisted help from a Low German radio station based in Aylmer, Ont., known as De Brigj 105.9 FM. De Brigj translates to “the bridge” in English, says Anna Bergen, executive director at Mennonite Community Services, which owns the station.

“Which is what we try to do – we try to bridge the two languages,” says Bergen.

The station began broadcasting in 2003 to serve newcomers, she says, specifically Low German speaking populations. Many are from Mexico and in southern Ontario’s Elgin County for agricultural jobs.

She said Southwestern Public Health buys ad time on the station to distribute public health messages, which staff at the station translate into Low German, taking into account cultural subtleties.

Earlier in the week, the local health unit’s Dr. Ninh Tran cautioned against associating the spread of the illness with a single demographic.

“Measles is here. It is an equal opportunity illness. It does not care about your gender, your address, your religion or your race,” Tran told reporters Wednesday.

“It is known as one of the most contagious illnesses globally, and currently, the most effective way to safely prevent measles is through vaccination.”

The World Health Organization says the virus can remain active in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours.

Signs of illness usually begin with a fever, cough, runny nose and red watery eyes, followed by a red blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads to the body and limbs. The virus can lead to pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and death.