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For the second consecutive week, the number of new measles cases in the Southwestern Public Health region has been in the single digits.
In the past week there have been five new cases, while the week previous there were four.
That brings the total number of infections to 756 since October of last year.
Seventy-four per cent of cases are in individuals 18 years of age or younger. Fifty-four people required hospitalization during their illness or seven per cent of the total case count.
There has been one measles-related death reported in the region.
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
