The City of Laval is just one of several municipalities in or near the Montreal region where the Quebec Health and Social Services Ministry is monitoring outbreaks of measles.
According to the provincial ministry, four cases of measles have been traced to outbreaks that started in early December in Laval and Montreal, on the region’s North Shore in Sainte-Thérèse, Saint-Eustache, Deux-Montagnes and Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, as well as in Saint-Jérôme in the Lower Laurentians.
The ministry is also advising that anyone who was a passenger on EXO public transit’s bus line 88 (Saint-Eustache-Sainte-Thérèse) on December 24 may have been exposed to measles and should monitor for symptoms until mid-January.
The symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and general malaise, followed by rashes on the face and body.
Measles, which is highly contagious, is spread by coughing or sneezing into the air. It can also be transmitted by touching the eyes, nose, or mouth after being in contact with an infected surface.
Although measles outbreaks in Canada are rare, owing to high immunization coverage, measles outbreaks are often associated with travel (referred to sometimes as “measles importations”).
According to a Quebec Health Ministry spokesperson, the first case of the most recent outbreak here resulted from exposure to a person residing outside Canada who travelled to Quebec during the contagious period.
If you are experiencing symptoms of measles, your are advised to stay at home and call your health care provider or local public health unit immediately.
Be sure to notify them prior to your arrival so that the appropriate precautions can be taken to prevent the spread of measles.
