UPDATE –
A second confirmed case of the measles in 100 Mile House, the second case in the Interior Health region this month.
Medical Health Officer Dr. Sue Pollock says this case is connected to the March 9 case, but is not linked to the outbreak on the BC coast.
Pollock couldn’t say specifically how the cases are related due to privacy reasons.
“So they were contacts of one another,” she said. “We do follow up with all contacts of measles cases to provide them with education, and if necessary to recommend that they get a measles vaccine.”
“It’s fair to say that they did know each other.”
If you were at Interlakes Market in 100 Mile House on March 13 between 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM, you may have been exposed to the measles.
“It’s a rare disease that’s very contagious and it spreads quite easily in the air and especially those who are not immunized are very susceptible to measles,” Pollock added.
“We are of course alerting the public that we have a second case and we are asking that people be alert for signs and symptoms.”
This second case is also travel related, but Dr. Pollock says the risk to the public is low.
“When we determine that we have a measles case, we know that people that they may have been in contact with, it can take eight to twelve or fourteen days until we see another measles cases and sometimes even a little bit longer,” Pollock said.
“It’s quite a long period of time that we’re monitoring contacts for symptoms.”
She’s urging people to ensure that they are up to date on their vaccinations, and if not, to reach out to health authorities.
ORIGINAL –
There’s a second case of the measles in 100 Mile House in the Interior Health region.
It’s connected to the first case in 100 Mile House from March 9, but is not linked to the outbreak on the BC coast.
Interior Health says if you were at Interlakes Market in 100 Mile House on March 13 between 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM, you may have been exposed.
This second case, like the first one in 100 Mile is travel related, and IH says the risk to the broader public is considered low.
Health officials are monitoring and following up with individuals who may have been in contact with the patient to determine their immunization status and, if necessary, they’ll be offered post-exposure protection.
A number of drop in measles vaccinations clinics have been set up in 100 Mile House and Williams Lake, as listed below.
Symptoms of the measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and red and inflamed eyes. These are followed by a rash, which starts first on the face and neck, spreads to the chest, arms and legs, and lasts for at least three
days.
If you think you have been exposed to measles, IH says to call your doctor’s office or the hospital before you visit so they can take precautions to prevent it from spreading to other people.
If you think you may have been exposed to measles but you have no symptoms, call 8-1-1 or your local public health centre to speak to a nurse.
