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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The number of measles cases in Manitoba this year has risen to 158, raising concern
Manitoba confirmed 12 more measles cases in its weekly update posted online Wednesday, with the total number of confirmed cases now up to 158 from 146 the previous week. Those numbers are up-to-date as of July 19, the province said. Manitoba also reported an additional probable case of the illness in its most recent update, in addition to eight other probable cases earlier this year — four in April and four in June. The number of cases spiked in May, with 72 reported that month. So far in July, the province has recorded 39 confirmed cases and one probable case. A provincial spokesperson said last week there had been seven measles cases in Manitoba that required hospitalization this year as of July 5. One person required admission to the intensive care unit, the spokesperson said in an email on July 17. Winnipeg epidemiologist Cynthia Carr said the latest numbers are "a growing concern." "We're certainly not seeing any kind of a decline that would make us comfortable," Carr said, noting how contagious the virus is to anyone not protected by vaccination or previous exposure. Dr. Santina Lee, a medical officer of health with Manitoba Health, said the number of reported cases is likely lower than the actual number of infections. WATCH | Family doctor says measles outbreaks in Canada are entirely preventable: "That's not something unique to Manitoba. We are hearing a similar situation in other provinces across Canada," Lee said. Canada achieved measles elimination status in 1998, but imported cases have resulted in outbreaks that started in New Brunswick in October. As of July 12, there have been a total of 3,977 measles cases — 3,665 confirmed and 312 probable — across 10 jurisdictions in Canada this year, according to the latest data from Health Canada. The highly infectious disease spreads through droplets formed in the air when someone coughs, sneezes or talks. Even a few minutes in the same space as a sick person poses infection risks, as the virus can linger on surfaces for two hours after an infected person leaves. Symptoms of measles generally appear seven to 21 days after exposure, and may include a fever, runny nose, drowsiness and red eyes, Manitoba Health said. Small white spots can also appear on the inside of the mouth or throat. LISTEN | People need to be vigilant about the measles outbreak: Dr. Lee said common complications from measles include breathing difficulties and, while more rare, brain swelling. Complications can also include ear infections and have an impact on vision and hearing. The people most at-risk are kids under the age of five, pregnant women and the immunocompromised. Epidemiologist Carr said she's seen similar complications firsthand — as a child, she experienced brain swelling when she developed meningitis. "I lost a significant portion of my hearing," Carr said. "It can lead to things from which you cannot recover." Measles screening Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Shared Health said active measles screening started this month at Health Sciences Centre Children's Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), ambulatory care clinics and Women's Hospital to minimize the risk of an outbreak. The screenings, which are done in separate areas or through an intercom, were implemented to ensure patients and families stay safe as measles cases spread, the spokesperson said in a July 21 email. Screening includes questions about possible symptoms and if the visitors have a rash. Patients with appointments at the ambulatory care clinic who have the measles or have been exposed to the virus and feel sick should call the clinic about their appointment before going, the spokesperson said. And if someone gets to a facility while showing symptoms of the measles, screening staff will consult with infectious disease physicians and infection control professionals to determine the appropriate next steps, the statement said. Immunization Immunization is the only way to protect people from contracting measles, the province said. A two-dose measles vaccine program for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) is routinely provided for kids who are at least one year old, with the second dose given between the ages of four to six in Manitoba. If a child is exposed to measles, the province said a second dose can be given earlier. Manitoba has expanded eligibility for vaccines to infants as young as six months old living in the Southern Health region and the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority area. The province also extended vaccine eligibility to start at six months for children who were evacuated from their communities because of wildfires and who may be staying in southern Manitoba, where there have been measles outbreaks. Epidemiologist Carr urged people to get vaccinated against the measles — and said the more it spreads, the more dangerous it can get. "The more we give that virus more bodies to thrive in, the more that virus will have the opportunity to change," she said. "And then ... we could be in trouble."
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba urged to use Big Tobacco cash to combat youth addiction
A coalition is urging the Manitoba government to use some of its Big Tobacco settlement to set up a research and education foundation to prevent the next generation from being addicted to nicotine. 'We need to empower our kids and help them understand how dangerous nicotine is,' said epidemiologist Cynthia Carr, executive director of the Manitoba Tobacco Reduction Alliance. Ahead of the start of the claims process, Manitoba should prepare to invest some of its estimated $1.1-billion settlement toward prevention efforts targeting youth, she said. 'Punitive approaches don't work,' said Carr, who's with the non-profit whose members include the Canadian Cancer Society, Manitoba Lung Association, University of Manitoba, Pharmacists Manitoba. 'Once you're addicted to something or once you think what your friends are doing is cool, once you think that's a social enabler and you're suddenly popular and part of the crowd because you're doing what everybody else is doing, the fear of punishment is not helpful, ' Carr said. MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS FILES Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr said she hopes the province sets aside enough — she suggested $25 million — for a foundation to nip nicotine addiction in the bud. MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS FILES Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr said she hopes the province sets aside enough — she suggested $25 million — for a foundation to nip nicotine addiction in the bud. The Manitoba government is expected to receive $1.119 billion, including $281 million up front, minus legal fees, with the rest paid out from tobacco company profits over the next 20 years, as part of the historic $32.5 billion court-approved settlement in March. In 2012, Manitoba joined other provinces in a lawsuit against Big Tobacco — Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd., Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc., and JTI-Macdonald Corp., as well as their foreign parent companies — to recover the cost of providing health care for tobacco-related illnesses. Premier Wab Kinew said last month that Manitoba's settlement money is earmarked for a new CancerCare site. 'We're going to invest every single dollar in curing cancer, in fighting cancer and supporting cancer patients every step of the way,' Kinew said while announcing a new $1-billion CancerCare building. On Monday, Kinew was attending a premiers meeting in Ontario and wasn't available to comment. His spokesperson said part of the settlement will be spent on prevention. JENNY KANE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES In 2012, Manitoba joined other provinces in a lawsuit against Big Tobacco to recover the cost of providing health care for tobacco-related illnesses. In 2012, Manitoba joined other provinces in a lawsuit against Big Tobacco to recover the cost of providing health care for tobacco-related illnesses. Carr said she hopes the province sets aside enough — she suggested $25 million — for a foundation to nip nicotine addiction in the bud. 'The opportunity and the greater good is to take a portion of those monies and invest in prevention, education and empowerment, particularly of our young people, who are of course the targets of these companies that need your money to keep going.' After the upfront disbursement to the Manitoba government, the balance of the settlement money is to be paid out in five-year increments, depending on the tobacco companies' after-tax profits from tobacco sales. Carr said that doesn't include alternative nicotine products such as vapes 'that are becoming more and more popular with kids for many reasons.' The alliance said 26 per cent of youth in grades 10 to 12 and seven per cent of grades 7 to 9 use vaping products, which puts them at risk of nicotine addiction and future tobacco use. The epidemiologist said she's concerned youth will be at an even greater risk for target marketing of nicotine vapes and pouches. The $32.5-billion settlement includes nearly $25 billion for provincial and territorial governments. It also covers more than $4 billion for members of a Quebec class-action lawsuit, and more than $2.5 billion for smokers in other provinces and territories who were diagnosed with lung cancer, throat cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from March 2015 to March 2019. Another $1 billion was set aside to establish the Cy-près Foundation to fund research, programs and initiatives focused on improving outcomes in tobacco-related diseases. 'It's not focused on prevention,' Carr said, adding the province could establish a legacy foundation to encourage investment in research, innovation and expertise in Manitoba. 'It's a tiny investment… that will make a massive difference.' Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
19-07-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
HSC screening visitors to high-risk wards for measles
Manitoba's largest hospital is screening visitors to its most high-risk wards for measles as the number of cases of the highly contagious virus continue to rise. Health Sciences Centre began screening visitors to its neonatal intensive care unit, Children's Hospital, Women's Hospital and ambulatory care clinics earlier this month. Visitor screening is held away from patient care areas using an intercom, or at reception desks where a staff member will ask the visitor if they have recently had symptoms associated with measles, including a rash, a Shared Health spokesperson said Friday. 'If someone arrives at a facility presenting with symptoms of the measles virus, staff that are screening visitors consult with infectious disease physicians and infection control professionals to determine appropriate next steps,' the spokesperson said in an email. Additional restrictions were put in place at the neonatal intensive care unit, including a limit of two-visitors at a time per patient, including the infant's designated caregiver. Children under age five are not allowed to visit, except a twin of a baby admitted to the ward. Manitoba has confirmed 146 measles cases since February and nearly all were in the last three months. There were 72 confirmed measles cases recorded by the province in May and 28 confirmed and four probable cases in June. Twenty-seven cases have been recorded in July. Doctors Manitoba said the HSC decision reflects physicians' concern about the spread of measles. 'Seeing Manitoba's largest hospital take pandemic-like screening precautions should be a wake-up call to Manitobans,' said spokesperson Keir Johnson. Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr said she'd like all Manitoba hospitals to employ measles screening, and for HSC to expand restrictions for visitors under five years old beyond the neonatal intensive care unit. Young children, who account for the majority of measles cases in Canada, can develop particularly severe complications. 'I hope that this will be expanded throughout the province to high-risk settings and high-risk groups, in terms of the specific, targeted approach for exclusions,' she said. 'Because we don't want to head toward this becoming endemic again, meaning routinely transmitting in Canada. But we're at risk.' It's a rite of passage for parents to take older siblings into the hospital to meet their new baby brother or sister, Carr acknowledged, but the risk of unknowingly spreading a severe infection is especially high. She called the restrictions a 'dual opportunity' to reinforce the serious nature of measles cases while preventing transmission among high-risk people. 'Having gone through COVID-19, and people still recovering from feeling like things got too strict, that they had a lack of agency in making their own decisions… It feels like it's trying to take sort of a step approach with a continued effort (toward) relationship building, trust.' Manitoba's most recent exposure sites were in the southern region: the Winkler Walmart, Boundary Trails Health Centre and a building in the Rural Municipality of Roland. On Friday, Southern Health did not say whether administrators would implement restrictions at its hospitals. When Triangle Oasis Restaurant in Winkler was listed as an exposure site last month, co-owner Jonny Neufeld worried it would affect his business, either by a drop in customers or the virus spreading among staff. Neither happened, he said Friday: 'There's been some scares, but no measles.' He said the conversation around measles in the community has settled after a large spike of cases earlier in the summer. He still has some concern for southern Manitoba's youngest residents. 'Some people around me talk about how they don't want to get their kids vaccinated and whatnot,' he said. 'In my church, the preacher was talking about it once, (saying) you can heal naturally, of course, but there's a reason there are doctors out there, you should go see a doctor.' Manitoba isn't the first province to introduce mandatory screenings in hospital settings. In Ontario, where measles cases have exploded, visitors to the London Health Sciences Centre pediatric and women's care wards are screened for measles. They must provide proof of measles immunity or wear an N95 mask at all times. Alberta media outlets reported last week that some hospitals in the province were triaging probable measles patients to wait in ambulance bays, rather than waiting rooms. Alberta has recorded more than 1,300 infections since March. Malak AbasReporter Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg's North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak. Every piece of reporting Malak produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Economic Times
22-05-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Manitoba becomes ground zero in Canada's measles crisis; Symptoms and treatment
IANS Diplomatic delegation, including four Canadians, seeks cover as Israeli troops fire warning shots during a tour in Jenin, West Bank A highly contagious and potentially deadly disease, thought to be nearly eliminated from Canada, has returned with alarming speed. Manitoba is under threat as it faces a surge in measles cases, marking the province's most substantial outbreak in decades. Health officials have confirmed 60 cases as of now, with four additional probable cases under investigation. The outbreak, which began with the first reported case in February, has seen a rapid escalation, with 42 new cases identified in May alone. Also Read: Measles outbreak in AlbertaExperts warn that the actual number of infections may be higher due to delays between infection and laboratory Cynthia Carr emphasized the contagious nature of measles, stating, 'This virus is very good at spreading. As a reminder, it can stay in the air two hours after the person infected with measles has been in the room and left.' Manitoba has expanded eligibility for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in response to the escalating situation. Infants aged six months to under 12 months residing in the Southern Health-Santé Sud and Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority regions, or those who travel regularly to and have close contact with residents of these areas, are eligible for an additional dose of the MMR vaccine. Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and molecular virology professor at Baylor College of Medicine, highlighted the importance of vaccination in curbing the outbreak. 'The only way to stop the flow is to bolster herd immunity and get 90-95 per cent vaccination rates. The only way you're going to slow this down is by a catch-up measles vaccination campaign,' he said. Also Read: US records over 800 confirmed cases of measles in 2025 According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, there have been 1,069 measles cases reported nationwide in 2025, with 885 cases linked to a multijurisdictional outbreak that began in New Brunswick in October 2024 and has since spread to Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec. Public health officials continue to monitor the situation closely and urge residents to ensure their MMR vaccinations are up to date, as it remains the most effective tool in preventing the spread of is not just highly transmissible but also potentially severe. The complications can include ear infections, pneumonia, and in severe cases, encephalitis, which can lead to permanent brain damage or even vaccinated with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which is highly effective in preventing infection. If exposed, monitor for symptoms like fever, rash, and white spots in the mouth, and contact a healthcare provider immediately—especially if you're unvaccinated, pregnant, or immunocompromised. Early medical care can reduce complications.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Manitoba becomes ground zero in Canada's measles crisis; Symptoms and treatment
A highly contagious and potentially deadly disease, thought to be nearly eliminated from Canada, has returned with alarming speed. Manitoba is under threat as it faces a surge in measles cases, marking the province's most substantial outbreak in decades. Health officials have confirmed 60 cases as of now, with four additional probable cases under investigation. The outbreak, which began with the first reported case in February, has seen a rapid escalation, with 42 new cases identified in May alone. Also Read: Measles outbreak in Alberta Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses Indonesia (Prices May Surprise You) Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo Experts warn that the actual number of infections may be higher due to delays between infection and laboratory confirmation. Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr emphasized the contagious nature of measles, stating, 'This virus is very good at spreading. As a reminder, it can stay in the air two hours after the person infected with measles has been in the room and left.' Live Events Response from the authorities Manitoba has expanded eligibility for the measles, mumps, and rubella ( MMR ) vaccine in response to the escalating situation. Infants aged six months to under 12 months residing in the Southern Health-Santé Sud and Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority regions, or those who travel regularly to and have close contact with residents of these areas, are eligible for an additional dose of the MMR vaccine . Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and molecular virology professor at Baylor College of Medicine, highlighted the importance of vaccination in curbing the outbreak. 'The only way to stop the flow is to bolster herd immunity and get 90-95 per cent vaccination rates. The only way you're going to slow this down is by a catch-up measles vaccination campaign,' he said. Also Read: US records over 800 confirmed cases of measles in 2025 Rise in measles cases across Canada According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, there have been 1,069 measles cases reported nationwide in 2025, with 885 cases linked to a multijurisdictional outbreak that began in New Brunswick in October 2024 and has since spread to Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec. Public health officials continue to monitor the situation closely and urge residents to ensure their MMR vaccinations are up to date, as it remains the most effective tool in preventing the spread of measles. What is Measles? Measles is not just highly transmissible but also potentially severe. The complications can include ear infections, pneumonia, and in severe cases, encephalitis, which can lead to permanent brain damage or even death. How to Stay Safe and What to Do if You're Exposed Get vaccinated with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which is highly effective in preventing infection. If exposed, monitor for symptoms like fever, rash, and white spots in the mouth, and contact a healthcare provider immediately—especially if you're unvaccinated, pregnant, or immunocompromised. Early medical care can reduce complications.
