How a person in Haldimand-Norfolk contracted the measles remains a mystery, but the local health unit is taking steps to keep the highly contagious airborne disease from spreading.
Article content
On Friday, Grand Erie Public Health said an adult had a confirmed case of measles and was recovering at home.
“At this time, the source of infection remains unknown,” health unit spokesperson Allison Campbell told The Spectator in an email on Tuesday.
Campbell said the infected person had not recently traveled but did not disclose their vaccination status, citing the privacy of the individual’s personal health information.
The health unit identified three potential exposure sites — Courtland Old Colony Church on Dec. 29, the Delhi Community Health Center walk-in clinic on Jan. 4 and Norfolk General Hospital’s emergency department on the afternoon of Jan. 5.
Further investigation identified 130 people who may have been exposed to the virus, Campbell said.
Article content
Anyone at the potential exposure sites should make sure their vaccinations are up to date and monitor for measles symptoms — including a red rash, fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and fatigue — which Campbell noted can appear from one to three weeks after exposure to an infected person.
“Therefore, some individuals may remain asymptomatic or uncertain about the nature of their illness until clinically diagnosed by a health-care professional,” Campbell said.
Early signs are the disease has not found any new victims.
“At this time, there is no indication of spread within the community,” Campbell said.
To keep any potential spread at bay, the health unit held booster clinics for those individuals who may have been exposed.
The measles vaccine is free in Ontario, and two doses are recommended for anyone born after 1969.
Anyone experiencing potential measles symptoms should contact their doctor or call the health unit’s Haldimand-Norfolk office at 519-426-6170.
JP Antonacci is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Share this article in your social network