The count of confirmed cases of measles in the southern health zone of Alberta has experienced a significant increase.
The most recent figures released by Alberta Health indicate that there were 46 new cases of measles confirmed during the weekend — with 44 of them located in the southern health zone.
The remaining two cases were identified in northern Alberta.
Alberta has now recorded a total of 606 confirmed cases of measles, with approximately three-quarters of them — 452 — in the southern zone, encompassing areas like Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Taber.
AHS mentioned that there could be more cases that have gone undetected or unreported.
Out of the cases, 466 were reported in children under 18 years old.
alberta.ca/measles
Due to the escalating number of cases in the south, Alberta Health Services announced on Friday that individual alerts for each exposure of the highly contagious virus will no longer be issued.
Instead, AHS has implemented a standing measles exposure advisory for the entire southern health zone advising that “all individuals living, working, or attending school in, or traveling to, the South Zone are encouraged to be vigilant due to the significant current risk of measles, and ensure their immunizations are up to date.”
For the most recent updates on total case numbers in the province, symptoms, high-risk groups, and vaccination information, visit alberta.ca/measles.
