Alberta reports 1,314 confirmed measles cases since March, surpassing U.S. number
EDMONTON — Alberta has surpassed the United States in confirmed measles cases, after 30 new cases were diagnosed over the weekend.
Article content
The province reported Monday that it has seen 1,314 cases since the beginning of March.
Article content
Article content
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,288 cases so far this year across 39 states, though case numbers are updated weekly with the next update expected on Wednesday.
Article content
Article content
The outbreak of the highly contagious disease hasn't led to any deaths so far in Alberta, but three people, including two children, have died in the United States.
Article content
Article content
The U.S. has also seen more hospitalizations, with the CDC reporting 162 people, or 13 per cent of all cases, being hospitalized compared to 102 Albertans as of earlier this month.
Article content
Alberta's measles dashboard says two people are currently in hospital, including one person receiving intensive care.
Article content
Dr. Craig Jenne, an immunology and infectious disease professor at the University of Calgary, says once measles started spreading at the community level, Alberta's low vaccination rate meant it was only a matter of time before the province surpassed the U.S. in cases.
Article content
'This was largely predictable,' he said in an interview.
Article content
'It was pretty clear we were going to see growth, unfortunately, for several weeks to months.'
Article content
Article content
Jenne said the speed at which measles has and continues to spread in Alberta is concerning. Last week, Alberta reached the highest per capita infection rate in North America, despite outbreaks in other jurisdictions like Ontario or Texas starting months earlier than in Alberta.
Article content
Article content
'It really is spreading quite easily here,' Jenne said.
Article content
'And we've not yet seen significant mitigation of the spread that perhaps some other jurisdictions have been able to manage.'
Article content
Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist with the University of Alberta, said she expects Alberta's situation to get worse before it gets any better.
Article content
'It's absolutely appalling and it shouldn't really happen, but it is where we are,' Saxinger said.
Article content
'This whole thing is just really not where I thought we'd be in 2025.'
Article content
Both Jenne and Saxinger said the actual number of cases on either side of the border is likely much higher than what's been confirmed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Alberta wastewater unlocked key information about COVID-19. Could it help with measles too?
Social Sharing As Alberta's measles outbreaks grow, researchers are now watching the province's wastewater for the highly contagious virus and hoping to determine if the technology could eventually serve as an early detection tool. The magnitude of Alberta's outbreaks and the speed at which cases are climbing has sparked widespread concern. As of midday Tuesday, 1,323 cases had been confirmed since the outbreaks began in March. Piggybacking off weekly wastewater samples, collected through the provincial COVID-19 surveillance program, the team has designed a test that can identify both the wild type measles virus (indicating actual infection) and vaccine-related shedding in the wastewater. "Wastewater surveillance was shown to be very useful globally — internationally — during COVID-19," said Dr. Bonita Lee, a co-lead with the pan-Alberta Network for Wastewater Monitoring, which includes researchers from both the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. Samples are taken from 12 Alberta wastewater treatment plants sites each week and sent to the provincial lab for analysis. Once the testing for SARS-CoV-2 is complete, the researchers analyze the same samples for measles. Without any additional funding, the team began looking for the virus at the beginning of April, after the first cases were confirmed in Edmonton, according to Lee. They found measles virus signals in the water for that time period and they've since tracked provincial trends. "Basically we have a lot of measles activity and it's increasing," said Lee, a professor of infectious diseases in the department of pediatrics at the University of Alberta. Scientists can't identify individual cases through this molecular testing. Instead they get a population-level view, she explained. Alberta's official measles case count is widely believed, by doctors and scientists, to be an underestimate. And the provincial government's website acknowledges cases are likely going unreported and undetected in the hardest hit parts of the province. According to Lee, wastewater monitoring could be most helpful in areas where measles cases may be going undetected and public health officials want to better understand what's happening. "It's never useful by itself. It will always be useful as a supplementary surveillance tool," she said. Early detection hopes Dr. Xiaoli Pang recently retired after working as a virologist in the provincial lab for 25 years and leading the wastewater surveillance program. Pang developed the initial SARS-CoV2 wastewater monitoring technology for the provincial lab and she designed the molecular test for measles as well. "I believe measles is going to continue — probably getting worse and worse," she said, noting funding for wastewater monitoring has been dwindling since the peak of the pandemic," she said. "Our wastewater plays a very important role. So we really need to continue." The incubation period for measles can last up to two weeks, according to Pang, and this has sparked hopes that the technology could lead to earlier detection and provide information that could be used by health officials to take action. With SARS CoV2 monitoring, the team was able to identify peaks one to two weeks before actual case counts would rise, she said. They want to know if wastewater signals will work in the same way for measles. More research is needed, she said, and it would require access to clinical case information data to determine the science behind how the wastewater signals correlate with actual confirmed case counts. "We want to get clinical information … to compare the correlation. Are we really able to do earlier detection and provide useful information to public health [so they can] make some kind of decisions?" said Pang, a professor in the department of laboratory medicine and pathology at the University of Alberta. For an effective monitoring program, more frequent sampling would be needed as well, according to the researchers. Alberta's wastewater surveillance program has been scaled back since the peak of the pandemic. Testing is done weekly rather than daily, she said, and they have to wait for access to the samples, which means real-time monitoring for measles is not possible. Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation, premature delivery and even death. The vast majority of Alberta's cases are among the unimmunized and more than 100 Albertans have been hospitalized due to the illness this year. The team has shared its early findings with provincial health officials. A spokesperson from the Alberta government confirmed it is aware of the research. "Researchers from the University of Alberta have been exploring the use of wastewater surveillance for measles," an emailed statement said. "Public health officials are reviewing this data to assess its relevance in the context of the current outbreak." In the long-term, Pang believes wastewater could play a key role in fighting new and emerging pathogens and even help identify the next pandemic. She hopes funding will be increased. "Something may be new coming. If something really causes a huge problem in the near future, I think wastewater [will] play some kind of important role," she said.
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Edmonton Journal
Tuesday's letters: What is Smith doing about measles?
Congratulations, Premier Smith! As of this week, Alberta has more reported cases of measles than 39 U.S. states combined. What are you doing about it? Are you mobilizing the public health system that you have gutted to vaccinate Albertans? Have you ungagged the chief medical officer of health so he can encourage people to protect themselves and their children? Article content Article content Article content Thank you for writing, Dan McCosh. It is evident you are an enthusiastic fan of Premier Smith and UCP policies. I am moved to write, too, because of your reference to 'public consultation and communication initiatives' that you are so pleased the government is taking. Article content These are more illusions than real consultations, as when the public says we do not want something (such as government involvement in books in schools), they go ahead and do it anyway. We said we do not want a provincial police force, but voilà: Smith created one anyway. Smith does not care what the public wants. Smith cares about advancing her own agenda. I do agree with your advice: 'Before you vote next time, think about who will do the best for Albertans … .' I hope we all will think hard about that. For my vote, it is not Smith and the UCP. Article content Article content That was quite the diatribe that Keith Gerein unleashed. Very one-sided and spurious, to say the least. The lengthy four-column piece seems to be firmly against Tim Cartmell in the mayor's chair, dismissing his motion as a publicity stunt. In fact, he had good reason to bring it forward due to the level of public concern.
The Province
a day ago
- The Province
Alberta reports 1,314 confirmed measles cases since March, surpassing U.S. number
The outbreak hasn't led to any deaths so far in Alberta, but three people, including two children, have died in the U.S., which has also seen more hospitalizations Published Jul 14, 2025 • 4 minute read Alberta health officials give an update on the province's measles outbreak at the legislature in Edmonton on Monday, May 5, 2025. Photo by David Bloom/Postmedia/File EDMONTON — Alberta has surpassed the United States in confirmed measles cases, after 30 new cases were diagnosed over the weekend. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The province reported Monday that it has seen 1,314 cases since the beginning of March. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,288 cases so far this year across 39 states, though case numbers are updated weekly with the next update expected on Wednesday. The outbreak of the highly contagious disease hasn't led to any deaths so far in Alberta, but three people, including two children, have died in the United States. The U.S. has also seen more hospitalizations, with the CDC reporting 162 people, or 13 per cent of all cases, being hospitalized compared to 102 Albertans as of earlier this month. Alberta's measles dashboard says two people are currently in hospital, including one person receiving intensive care. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Dr. Craig Jenne, an immunology and infectious disease professor at the University of Calgary, says once measles started spreading at the community level, Alberta's low vaccination rate meant it was only a matter of time before the province surpassed the U.S. in cases. 'This was largely predictable,' he said in an interview. 'It was pretty clear we were going to see growth, unfortunately, for several weeks to months.' Jenne said the speed at which measles has and continues to spread in Alberta is concerning. Last week, Alberta reached the highest per capita infection rate in North America, despite outbreaks in other jurisdictions like Ontario or Texas starting months earlier than in Alberta. 'It really is spreading quite easily here,' Jenne said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'And we've not yet seen significant mitigation of the spread that perhaps some other jurisdictions have been able to manage.' Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist with the University of Alberta, said she expects Alberta's situation to get worse before it gets any better. 'It's absolutely appalling and it shouldn't really happen, but it is where we are,' Saxinger said. 'This whole thing is just really not where I thought we'd be in 2025.' Both Jenne and Saxinger said the actual number of cases on either side of the border is likely much higher than what's been confirmed. 'We have to remember that those are really the minimum number,' Jenne said. 'If kids don't require medical treatment, if they don't require hospitalization, there's a really good chance that they'll just be treated at home and they're not seen by a doctor and therefore they're not counted.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Saxinger said the undercounting of cases might be especially true in the U.S., given more severe outcomes like deaths have been reported. She noted that it's expected for every 1,000 cases, one to three people will die. 'Quite a large number — maybe even as many as one in five — will get a bacterial infection after measles,' she said. 'That's not nothing, that's a big deal.' Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the United Conservative government should step up public health awareness efforts before Alberta starts seeing its own severe outcomes. 'In a time where we have a massive public health outbreak, we are seeing absolute silence from this government,' Nenshi said. 'This is absolute dereliction of duty and it has very real consequences on children who are getting very, very ill.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange's office did not immediately respond to questions Monday. Saxinger also said she thought recent actions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump could be undermining the trustworthiness of U.S. data. In March, the Trump administration moved to cut more than US$11 billion in public health funding across dozens of states, though in May a federal judge granted an injunction to block the cuts after 23 states filed a lawsuit. 'I'm not sure … the data infrastructure is as reliable as it used to be,' Saxinger said about the United States. 'When you introduce a lot of chaos and disruption into a system that really relies on an organizational structure to make things happen properly, there's going to be problems.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The two professors said it's unlikely Alberta or other provinces dealing with measles outbreaks will be able to get transmission under control before the fall, which is when Canada could lose its long-held measles eradication status. Jenne said losing the status might not mean much for many Albertans when it comes to day-to-day life, though it could mean other countries might implement travel recommendations and vaccine requirements for those visiting Canada. 'Those things can impact things as far-ranging as tourism to amateur sport visits to even business meetings if Canada is seen as an infection risk to other countries' populations,' he said. 'This is something we really need to avoid, but it is not looking very likely that we will be able to avoid it, at least in the short term.' Read More Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Crime Vancouver Canucks Sports Betting Vancouver Canucks Crime
