Alberta is 39 cases away from hitting the four-digit number for measles outbreak
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Experts say that once the count hits four-digits, the risk of fatalities reported from the virus becomes almost certain.
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The only other province to report cases in the four-digits so far has been Ontario, which has reported over 2,000 cases of the infection, since first reporting an outbreak in October 2024.
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Craig Jenne, infectious diseases expert said that adjusting for per capita, 'the measles outbreak in Alberta is bigger than elsewhere in Canada,' including Ontario.
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'They've been fighting this virus since October of last year,' he said in late May. 'So in a matter of the first week of March to today, we've eclipsed Ontario.'
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Ontario first reported reaching four-digit counts in March, five months after the outbreak was first reported in the eastern province, while Alberta is now days away from reporting the same, three months after the outbreak was first reported.
Jenne added that the reported cases are usually lower than the actual number of infections, often due to many infected individuals choosing to be treated at home.
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Cases have long been concentrated in the province's south zone, where 665 cases have currently been reported, followed by 166 in the north zone, 105 in central and 6 and 19 in Edmonton and Calgary respectively.
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The virus has especially affected children and teenagers, with 442 cases reported in Albertans aged five to 17 years and 276 in Albertans aged five and below.
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No deaths have been reported as yet, but according to Dr. Daniel Gregson, an infectious disease expert with the University of Calgary, the odds of a fatality from the measles are one in 1,000 cases, higher for children younger than five years.
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Complications from measles, he added in an interview last week, could arise immediately or years after acquiring the infection.
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'Even after the measles infection, you're at a higher risk of developing some viral or bacterial infections,' he said. 'So there's this ongoing sort of immunocompromised state that occurs after measles.'
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Children at younger ages are at higher risk of death from diarrhea, encephalitis and brain infectons, he said. 'The younger you are, the smaller your airways. So measles can cause inflammation in the airways and if your airways are smaller, you can have difficulties breathing.'
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