Measles cases continue to grow in Alberta
Posted Apr 14, 2025 3:17 pm.
Last Updated Apr 17, 2025 1:23 pm.
Alberta saw another uptick in measles cases over the weekend.
The number of measles cases in the province has jumped from 58 on Friday, to 74 as of Monday.
As of Monday, it is estimated that 64 people diagnosed with measles are no longer contagious.
Most people infected with measles are five to 17 years old as of April 14, making up 51 out of 74 people.
Only five of the cases are in adults, and there are 18 cases in children under eighteen.
Out of 58 confirmed measles cases as of April 5, eight have been hospitalized.
Out of 35 confirmed measles cases as of April 5, five got one dose of the vaccination.
A majority of the cases have come out of Central Alberta. Calgary has only had three total cases of measles so far.
The province’s chief medical officer, Dr. Mark Joffe, said last week that officials are working to contain the spread, adding that measles is more serious than other common childhood illnesses.
Measles is extremely contagious and can easily be spread through the air.
According to Alberta Health Services, measles can cause seizures, blindness and brain damage. It also has a death rate of roughly two for every 1,000 infections.
Symptoms of measles include a fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, a blotchy red rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts.
The redness may be harder to see in darker skin colours, as they can look purple or darker than the surrounding skin.
It typically begins behind the ears and on the face before spreading down to the body, arms and legs.
Vaccination rates have been creeping up, but it’s extremely contagious, so Joffe adds if you haven’t gotten your shot yet, now’s the time.
More information on measles from Alberta can be found here.
