Measles cases continue to multiply in Alberta, reaching a total of 1,105, while Ontario is beginning to see transmission slow down.
Alberta, in its provincial update on Thursday, confirmed 27 new cases over the last 24 hours. The province has the highest per-capita rate of measles in Canada and is among the most-affected jurisdictions in North America.
The majority of cases in Alberta are concentrated in the province’s south, an area where the resurgence of the previously forgotten disease has exposed division over vaccines and faith.
Sidd Thakore, a pediatrician at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, said he expects measles infections to continue to climb in the province, owing to lower vaccination uptake and the virus being highly contagious.
“Given the numbers, at some point I do worry that we’re going to be dealing with a measles death,” Dr. Thakore said in an interview Thursday.
Measles cases and deaths are on the rise and in many countries, it’s linked to falling vaccination rates. Dr. Natasha Crowcroft of Public Health Ontario discusses the importance of getting vaccinated and offers some reliable resources to be informed about measles and vaccinations.
Measles was declared eliminated in Canada in 1998 after widespread measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination programs. The country is now at risk of losing this status if the multi-jurisdictional outbreak is not controlled by the fall.
Alberta and Ontario have been hit hardest by the outbreak, which began last October in New Brunswick. The first and only death linked to Canada’s outbreak so far was a premature baby infected with measles in utero who died in Southwestern Ontario.
Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, has said that the provincial outbreak was traced back to an exposure at a large Mennonite gathering in New Brunswick last fall. Officials have not identified the source of Alberta’s cases.
Public Health Ontario, in its weekly measles update released on Thursday, reported 33 new cases, bringing the provincial total to 2,212 (1,898 confirmed, 314 probable). The data show weekly case counts have been easing since the end of May with some variation.
Public health officials in both provinces, however, have warned that the case count is likely much higher than what is reported. The majority of infections in Ontario and Alberta are among unvaccinated children.
Dr. Thakore, who said it’s the first time in his 15-year career that he has dealt with measles, said some of the sickest children from Alberta’s central and south zones, two of the most impacted regions, end up at the Calgary children’s hospital for care.
In Depth: Measles resurgence exposes fault lines over vaccines and faith in Alberta town
He said measles-induced pneumonia is one of the most common complications being treated. There have also been cases where measles has triggered diabetic crises. Oxygen in often required, in addition to feeding tubes for those under the age of one, Dr. Thakore explained.
“These poor kids – they are not comfortable until things improve over time. There’s no actual treatment for it, it’s supportive care waiting for them to get better.”
Two people, whose age and vaccination status is not publicly reported, were hospitalized with measles in Alberta, as of Thursday. One patient was in the intensive care unit.
Since January, nearly 90 people have been hospitalized in Alberta, 14 of whom required intensive care. In Ontario, roughly 150 people have required hospital care, 11 of whom were admitted to ICU.
Dr. Thakore said there are also long-term complications to worry about, such as inflammation of the brain that can lead to hearing loss and blindness, immune amnesia, and the risk of a rare but deadly brain disorder called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.
He stressed that the best way to protect yourself and others is by getting the MMR vaccine, which is “extremely effective and extremely safe.”