There are eight active measles cases in Northern Health, with seven cases being newly reported to the province’s disease control centre.
In total, B.C. has nine active cases, the sole active case outside of the health authority for the north is in the Fraser Health region. Confirmed, inactive cases in Northern Health also increased with 16 newly reported cases, and the most recent yearly sums of cases in the region showing 159 confirmed and 16 probable cases.
One of the active cases’ origins is unknown, but the other patients were exposed somewhere within Canada, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s newest report.
The total annual case count for children and teenagers aged five-years-old to 17-years-old surpassed 100 cases, per the disease control hub’s update, which said there have been 104 confirmed cases in that age range.
So far in August, the Fort St John Hospital’s emergency department has experienced two exposures, one on August 3 from 10:45 a.m. to 4:35 p.m., and another on the afternoon of August 18 from 1:50 to 4:20. The entire north Peace region is also subject to a warning on the centre for disease control’s website, which cautions people that measles is circulating in the area.
People who believe they were exposed to measles should monitor for symptoms, especially if they are in a high-risk group.
“That includes: children under one year of age, unimmunized pregnant people, (and) people who are immunocompromised,” B.C.’s disease control centre said.
Unimmunized pregnant people and children under one are not eligible for vaccination.
