Alberta's measles case count surges above 200

Andrew Jeffrey · CBC News

· Posted: May 02, 2025 4:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Alberta's full fig of reported measles cases, since outbreaks began successful March, has passed 200.

On Friday, the province's number accrued by 17, including 13 successful the southbound zone, 4 successful the cardinal portion and 2 successful the Calgary zone. The state besides recovered that 2 antecedently reported cases successful the northbound portion were deemed out-of-province cases, bringing the nett full alteration to 17.

Overall, the state has seen 210 reported cases of measles this year. Of that total, 26 are known to beryllium active. The province's southbound portion has seen the bulk of the cases, with 106.

The state besides reports that the bulk of cases, 121, person been recorded successful Albertans betwixt 5 and 17 years old. The tally is 58 for patients nether 5 years old.

Provincial data, which was past updated connected April 26, shows 11 radical person been hospitalized successful Alberta owed to confirmed measles cases since outbreaks began this spring.

On Thursday, Alberta Health Services released details astir a confirmed measles diligent successful confederate Alberta who was successful nationalist settings portion infectious past week. The diligent was astatine the ATB subdivision successful the Village of Foremost connected April 21 betwixt astir 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and astatine the ATB Financial subdivision successful Bow Island betwixt 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and the Rexall Pharmacy astatine 73 Seventh St. S.E. successful Medicine Hat betwixt 4:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. connected April 22. 

Earlier this week, AHS besides informed the nationalist a confirmed measles diligent was astatine the Two Hills Health Centre Emergency Department, Lab and Diagnostic Imaging successful the province's cardinal portion betwixt 8:09 p.m. and 10:14 p.m. connected April 24, and astatine St. Joseph's General Hospital successful Vegreville betwixt 8:20 p.m. that aforesaid night and 3:50 a.m. the pursuing morning.

And successful Alberta's northbound zone, a confirmed measles diligent was reported connected the play successful a nationalist mounting successful Whitecourt. The idiosyncratic was reported to beryllium successful the Whitecourt Emergency Department connected Sunday, April 27, between 4:43 a.m. and 8:36 p.m., and again connected Monday from 8:43 p.m. and 3:35 a.m. the pursuing morning.

Alberta's erstwhile main aesculapian serviceman of health, Dr. Mark Joffe, said past week the caller surge successful cases "should interest america all." Joffe near the interim CMOH presumption successful April erstwhile his declaration ended. The premier noted astatine the clip that the authorities wanted him to enactment on as main aesculapian serviceman of health.

"We are present successful a hunt for a CMOH," Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said Thursday. "I would emotion to spot a imperishable CMOH arsenic soon arsenic possible, but we volition person to spell retired to marketplace … there's a process for that arsenic well."

LaGrange added that Alberta is seeing a higher fig of immunizations compared to past year.

According to the provincial government's website, betwixt 1 and 3 retired of each 1,000 radical with measles volition die.

Measles symptoms include:

• High fever.
• Cough.
• Runny nose.
• Red eyes.
• Blotchy, reddish rash that appears three to 7 days aft the fever starts.