Visitors to Alberta cancer facilities limited due to measles outbreak

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is temporarily limiting visitors in cancer facilities due to the measles outbreak in the province.

In the notice to staff, it says inpatient and outpatient services at Calgary’s Arthur J.E. Child Cancer Centre and Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute will be limited to two.

The temporary limit–meant for staff to exercise should they need to–also applies to the Jack Ady Cancer Centre in Lethbridge and the Grande Prairie Cancer Centre.

According to AHS spokesperson Kristi Bland, this is intended to protect the most vulnerable hospitalized patients during the outbreak while maintaining family-centred care, and can pose even more risk for those who are pregnant, under the age of five, or who have a weakened immune system.

That would apply to many cancer patients undergoing treatment.

Visitors will be allowed for patients positive or suspected of measles admitted to the pediatric and adult hospitals, and patients admitted to areas that include neonatal intensive care units, pediatric intensive care units, labour and delivery units and postpartum units, oncology sites and designated units or care spaces, and units and programs housing measles-vulnerable patients.

The two visitors are the same people permitted throughout the patient’s stay; however, AHS says there are options for other visitors, and compassionate exceptions will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis.

Bland also says that while measles cases in Edmonton and Calgary are low, these precautions are in place due to the potential risk from visitors from areas with higher measles counts.

“They are not a response to increased risk or transmission within Calgary or Edmonton,” she said.

Measles cases soar over 1,500

This comes as measles cases in Alberta have risen to 1,538 as of Friday, with public advisories issued for northern Alberta and Calgary.

A dozen cases come from the North and South zones each, and a single one comes from Calgary. There are 479 cases in the North, 16 in Edmonton, 108 in the Central Zone, 44 in Calgary, and 891 in the South Zone.

One person is hospitalized, and 11 are communicable.

AHS says there was a confirmed case at the Calgary International Airport on July 17 and 19, and another at the Alberta Precision Laboratories in Glenmore Landing on July 22.

Anyone who has been at those locations is being asked to self-monitor for symptoms of measles and is strongly encouraged to review their immunization records.

Measles can include complications ranging from ear infections to pneumonia, swelling of the brain and in rare cases, death.

Symptoms of measles include:

• Fever of 38.3° C or higher;
• Cough, runny nose and/or red eyes; and
• A rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, usually beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and then to the arms and legs. The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours. On darker skin colours, it can appear purple or darker than the skin around it, or it might be hard to see.

If symptoms of measles do develop, individuals are advised to stay home and call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting any healthcare facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy.

You can find more information online at ahs.ca/measles or ahs.ca/immunization.