Measles cases in New Brunswick more than double in three days
A measles outbreak declared in New Brunswick’s Zone 3, which includes Fredericton and the upper Saint John River Valley, has more than doubled since last week.
In an email to CTV News Atlantic on Monday, a spokesperson for the Department of Health said since Thursday, Public Health has confirmed seven more cases, bringing the total to 12.
Public Health says it is monitoring the situation closely and working with health-care partners to decrease the risk.
New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health warned the public about a confirmed case of measles in the Fredericton and Carleton County areas on Oct. 24, followed by two subsequent cases.
On Thursday, the province confirmed an additional two cases.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease.
Vaccinations
Horizon Health Network continues to host measles vaccine clinics in Zone 3.
A vaccine clinic will be held at the Western Valley Multiplex in the Centreville district of Carleton North on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30p.m. There will also be a clinic at the Stanley Health Centre in Stanley on Friday, Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Public Health is encouraging people to book an appointment through the provincial scheduler or by calling Tele-Services at 1-833-437-1424, available Monday to Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) is for babies aged 12-to-18 months.
While people born before 1970 are generally considered to be protected from measles, Public Health says people born later who have not received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine should get vaccinated.
According to Dr. Mark McKelvie, the province’s regional medical officer of health, the measles vaccine has been in use for over 50 years and is “safe and highly effective at preventing infections.” Those who are unsure of their vaccination status, or that of their children, are urged to contact their health-care provider or local Public Health office.
Symptoms of measles
Public Health says anyone experiencing symptoms should isolate and contact Tele-Care 811 by telephone and follow the operator’s instructions. These people should not go to an emergency room, doctor’s office or clinic.
Anyone who is seriously ill and needs to go to the emergency room should call ahead to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.
Symptoms of measles may include:
- fever
- cough
- sore and/or red eyes
- runny nose
- tiny white spots in the mouth
Within three-to-seven days, Public Health says a red, blotchy rash will appear, first on the face and then spreading to the body, arms and legs.
More information, including new potential exposures, can be found online.
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'I recognize these footsteps': How Trump and 'coyote' smuggling changed life at the border
Bent signs bolted to the rail threaten fines and imprisonment should violators cross the boundary into the United States, a warning many people are choosing to ignore simply by walking around the barrier.
From wreckhouse winds to blizzards, mix of weather in forecasts for parts of Canada
Canadians will experience contrasting weather on Thursday, from warmer temperatures in the Maritimes to extreme cold in parts of Ontario, the Prairies and the North.
Banks tell 2 Ontarians too much time has passed to cash decades-old cheque, GIC
Two Ontarians who recently found unclaimed money from decades-old investments were told by their banks there were no records of them in their systems.
Rescue group saves 11-year-old girl floating alone in the Mediterranean for days after shipwreck
An 11-year-old girl from Sierra Leone was found floating in the Mediterranean Sea off Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa, believed to be the only survivor of a shipwrecked migrant boat that had departed from the port of Sfax in Tunisia, a humanitarian group said Thursday.
She took a DNA test for fun. Police used it to charge her grandmother with murder in a cold case
According to court documents, detectives reopened the cold case in 2017 and then worked with a forensics company to extract DNA from Baby Garnet's partial femur, before sending the results to Identifinders International.
Settlement reached in complaint over Canada Post layoffs as strike hits four weeks
The union representing Canada Post workers says an unfair labour practice complaint over the company's layoffs has been resolved.
Some breast cancer patients can avoid certain surgeries, studies suggest
Some early breast cancer patients can safely avoid specific surgeries, according to two studies exploring ways to lessen treatment burdens.
'Enough is enough': Doug Ford says Ontario could hand encampment drug users $10,000 fines, prison
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is introducing a suite of measures to 'address and dismantle' encampments around the province, including steep fines for people who use drugs.
Statistics Canada says household debt-to-disposable income ratio falls in Q3
Statistics Canada says the amount Canadian households owe relative to their income fell in the third quarter as a rise in disposable income outpaced the growth in debt.