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Have we turned the corner in the measles outbreak that has plagued the Southwestern Public Health region since last fall?
In the latest update from the health unit released Thursday morning, there have been just four new cases in the past week.
That brings the total number of infections to 751 since October of last year.
Seventy-four per cent of cases are in individuals 18 years of age or younger.
Fifty-two people required hospitalization during their illness or seven per cent of the total case count, with one measles-related death reported.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles symptoms start 7 to 14 days after you are exposed to the virus. The main signs include:
High fever
Cough
Runny nose
Red, watery eyes
Red rash that starts on the face and spreads to the body
Complications can include:
Diarrhea
Ear infections
Pneumonia (lung infection)
Rare but serious complications:
Brain infection (encephalitis)
Death
Measles spreads when:
You breathe air where an infected person has coughed or sneezed
You touch a surface with the virus on it and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. The virus can live in the air or on surfaces for up to 2 hours.
You can spread measles to others 4 days before the rash starts and until 4 days after the rash starts.
More information can be found at https://www.swpublichealth.ca/my-health/infectious-diseases/measles/
Writtten by Ian McCallum
