It hasn't been seen in quite some time around these parts, but the scourge of measles has not yet been vanquished. A recent outbreak has been tracked in southern Alberta and has recently made its way into Saskatchewan in the last month.
"Measles are one of the few infections that are air-borne," said Dr. Saqib Shahab, chief medical health officer with the Saskatchewan Health Ministry. "You only need to be in the same room with someone who's infected to catch it."
According to Shahab, it's extremely important for everyone to have his or her measles vaccinations. Ideally, the percentage of vaccinations in the population should be at 95 per cent, but that isn't yet the case in Saskatchewan.
"In Saskatchewan, we didn't see measles for several years, but the province is changing and lots of people are traveling and immigrating," he said.
The outbreak that began in southern Alberta apparently originated from the Netherlands, where vaccination rates are as high. Since then, there have been at least 20 confirmed cases.
"It starts with a cough, a runny nose - referred to as coryza - and red eyes, called conjunctivitis. Then you see the grayish-white spots inside the mouth," said Shahab.
The spots (known as Koplik's spots) inside the mouth are transient, however, so Shahab encourages anyone with these symptoms to first call in before seeing a doctor. In order to prevent any possible outbreaks at the doctor's office or at the hospital, patients will need to be seen in separate rooms.
"If you've never had the vaccine, you're at risk," said Shahab. "Although most people are vaccinated at 12 and 18 months, it's never too late to get vaccinated, even if you're in the first few days of infection."
Measles are a highly contagious virus that is most recognized by the rash that develops several days after infection. For most individuals in a highly vaccinated population, the virus isn't life threatening. It very rarely has complications more serious than a fever and an itchy rash.
Nevertheless, according to Shahab, approximately three per cent of unvaccinated young adults are at a higher risk of more serious subsequent complications. Usually these complications can entail pneumonia and neurological nervous system issues. Only one in 1,000 die as a result of measles.
"(The Alberta Health Ministry) has asked all unvaccinated individuals to stay home for 21 days so as to avoid catching the virus," said Shahab. "Unfortunately, because it's air-borne, there isn't much else that can be done."
According to Shahab, it takes approximately five to 15 days to start seeing symptoms, hence the three-week period advised by the Alberta Health Ministry. Anyone in the same room as an infected individual can contract the virus within two hours.
"If you were born after 1970 or work in a school setting or travel to places where it's more common, you should go to public health and get the shot," said Shahab.
Regarding air travel, there isn't much the airlines can do, either. The most they can do is follow guidelines provided by Health Canada and Alberta Health.
"We are always looking to do what we can to mitigate any health hazards on board or on the ground, it just goes without saying," said Brie Thorsteinson, a media relations advisor for WestJet. "We also encourage guests to be vigilant when it comes to their health and the health of their traveling companions, and to keep that in mind when they fly."
Usually, low-income populations have lower rates of vaccinations due to the inability to afford them. However, due to a controversy in the late 1990s that falsely linked the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine to autism, vaccination rates in Europe significantly decreased. As a result, outbreaks of the measles occurred more frequently.
Excluding other parts of the world, there are many documented outbreaks in Europe from 2008 up until present day. The persistence of the virus is the direct result of lack of vaccination.
"Sometimes people won't vaccinate for a number of reasons, such as thinking they should wait a bit longer if their babies are premature," said Shahab. "Sometimes it's because they look up false information on the Internet."
Shahab says that anyone with questions or concerns regarding the MMR vaccination should speak to his or her public health nurse.
