Public Health Alert – Probable Case of Measles
Situation
Northwestern Health Unit is following up a probable case of measles in an infant in the Sioux Lookout area. A probable case of measles is an individual with clinically compatible signs and symptoms and travel to an area with known measles spread. Results on the client are expected on Saturday which will allow confirmation of the case.
Contact tracing and contact follow-up are underway. Individuals identified by the family as exposed to the case between May 24th and May 30th, 2024, will be advised on measures to minimize risk of further spread including self-monitoring for symptoms, isolation if symptoms arise, and vaccination or Ig if indicated. Known exposure locations are included in our media release.
MMR vaccine will be provided to contacts who do not have 2 doses of vaccine.
Contacts who cannot be immunized may require Ig; this includes pregnant women and those whose immunocompromise precludes the live MMR vaccine.
Actions requested
- Susceptible Individuals who are within 6 days of their exposure to the case (see media release) should be assessed for eligibility for post-exposure prophylaxis. Their eligibility depends on age, whether they are immunocompromised, and pregnancy. Please review the NACI recommendation for measles PEP.
- Provide Ig to any of your patients who require it as per NACI guidance. Ig can be accessed through Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre.
- Provide MMR vaccine to any of your patients who do not have 2 documented doses and request vaccine (the National Advisory Committee on Immunization indicates that there is no value in more than 2 doses of MMR).
- Report immediately to NWHU if you suspect a case of measles, including phoning 1-807-468-7109; instructions can be found here.
Additional information and resources
- Measles information for health care providers was recently updated on the NWHU website
- Public Health Ontario has also recently updated measles information due to a global increase in this vaccine preventable disease Measles | Public Health Ontario
Contact:
Dr. Kit Young Hoon, MPH, MSc., FRCPC
Medical Officer of Health
Northwestern Health Unit