Measles Rears Its Head in Canada: Potential Outbreak

Measles, which has already reared its ugly head on several occasions in the United States this year, has just recently shown up in Fraser Valley, Canada.

According to the Fraser Valley Health Authority, two patients have already been positively diagnosed for measles. Alarmingly, 100 more suspected cases of the infection are currently being investigated, meaning that Fraser Valley is facing a potential outbreak.

According to a recent public health warning released by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the two initial cases originated from a school in a Chilliwack community that reportedly has always had low immunization rates due to cultural and religious reasons among the residents.

Besides Chilliwack, the health authority's warning also mentioned risk of exposure to the measles infection among residents of Abbotsford, Mission, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs, and Hope.

The families of the more than 100 individuals currently suspected of infection have been contacted and offered post-exposure Immune Globulin injections. This injection can help prevent or modify a measles infection if administered within the first 6 days after exposures -- right before the first symptoms, a spreading rash and cough, begin.

Immunization rates for measles and other dangerous childhood infections are relatively low in the at-risk part of Canada, according to Fraser Valley health officials, saying that the East Fraser region has immunization rates of only about 60 to 70 percent, but because of religious regions, some schools currently being investigated have immunization rates close to or equal to zero.

Measles, which is a highly contagious infection that spreads by coughing and sneezing, has an infection success rate well over 90 percent among those not immunized, according to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. In the U.S. immunizations rates are encouragingly high, with an estimated 90- percent of all U.S. children receiving a vaccine regiment when very young. Still, this has not stopped the U.S. from experiencing its own outbreak of the disease last week in New York City.

Both U.S. and Canadian health officials say that the source of these outbreaks is likely from out-of-country, where the measles disease has increased access to unimmunized populations.

The public health warning was released by Fraser Valley Health officials on March 8.