Officials from The Ottawa Hospital are notifying staff, physicians and in-patients who might have been
exposed
to
measles
after a case was identified at the emergency department of the hospital’s General campus.
“We are working closely with Ottawa Public Health to reach anyone else directly who may have been exposed while in our emergency department,” hospital spokesperson Michaela Schreiter said in a statement Thursday.
Ottawa Public Health
also issued an alert Thursday about possible measles exposures at a handful of locations around the city between Aug. 5 and Aug. 8. The possible exposures relate to an isolated case of measles, Ottawa’s fifth confirmed case this year. The person, who was not identified, is believed to have acquired measles while travelling in Western Canada.
Alberta and Ontario have both experienced historically large measles outbreaks this year, largely among people who are not fully immunized. While Ontario’s large outbreak is waning, Alberta is still reporting dozens of new cases each week.
Hospitals across Ottawa have been on alert to watch for measles cases in the city during the provincial outbreak, which was largely centred in southwestern Ontario.
Schreiter said TOH follows “rigorous infection prevention and control protocols and public health standards” when a case of measles is confirmed at the hospital. That includes notifying in-patients and staff who may have been exposed.
“The Ottawa Hospital works closely with Ottawa Public Health to determine if individuals who may have been exposed have immunity to the virus and, if not, which further steps are required,” said Schreiter.
Both public health and hospital officials say the risk to the general public is low and there is no evidence of local transmission of measles in Ottawa.
OPH is advising people who visited the following locations in Ottawa on specific dates and times to monitor their symptoms for 21 days. That includes:
- Shoppers Drug Mart, 702 Bank St., Aug 5 9-11:30 pm
- Michaels at Trainyards, Aug. 5 8:15-10:30 pm
- Fitness Lab, 34 Beech St., Aug. 6, 5:45-8:45 am
- Wilf and Ada’s, 510 Bank St., Aug. 7, 12:30 pm-4 pm
- Cineplex Odeon (Fantastic 4 – 6:50 showtime), 2385 City Park Drive, Aug 8, 6:35 p.m.,-10:50 pm
Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases known to mankind. The measles-containing vaccine is highly effective in preventing it. Canada was considered to have eliminated measles in the 1990s because of high vaccination rates. Dropping immunization rates are now fueling the spread of measles and other infectious diseases.
Those who are unable to get vaccinated, including infants and people with
compromised immune systems
, are at heightened risk.
