Alberta's chief medical officer of health says measles cases in the province have reached 58, with public health teams monitoring clusters in the south and central zones.
"Measles outbreaks are occurring in Canada, including Alberta," Dr. Mark Joffe said in a statement Friday. "As of April 11, we have seen 58 confirmed cases in the province, and we are paying close attention to rising cases within the south and central zones."
Joffe said health officials are tracking cases and contacts and working with local leaders to support affected communities.
Of the 58 confirmed cases, about 48 are believed to be past their communicability period, the time during which they can transmit measles to others.
However, Joffe cautioned that those numbers "do not necessarily reflect risk in the community," noting that there may be undiagnosed cases or infected individuals entering Alberta from other jurisdictions where measles is circulating.
"Measles is more serious than other common childhood illnesses. It can cause pneumonia, brain swelling and even death," Joffe said. He listed early symptoms as fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a blotchy red rash that typically appears three to seven days after fever onset.
Albertans with symptoms are advised to stay home and call 811 for guidance.
Joffe urged residents to ensure their immunizations are up to date. "These outbreaks are highly preventable," he said. "Immunization with measles-containing vaccine is the single most important public health intervention to prevent measles."
The vaccine is available to eligible Albertans. In the Calgary and Edmonton zones, residents can book appointments by calling 811 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Residents in other regions are directed to contact local public or community health centres.
Alberta Health is posting regular updates at alberta.ca/measles, including breakdowns by age group, estimated data for those outside their period of communicability, immunization status of cases, and the number of doses administered.
"It's important that Albertans do their part to prevent the spread of measles," Joffe said.
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