Three confirmed measles cases in Burlington; local retail outlets may be source.

By Staff

BURLINGTON, ON. June 18, 2013 The Halton Region Health Department has reported three related cases of measles in Burlington.

Persons who visited the any of the following locations on June 8 may have been exposed to measles:

SportChek in Burlington Mall, Guelph Line and Fairview Street, at 1 p.m. until approximately 4 p.m.

The Collector’s Vault, near New Street and Guelph Line, at 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Al’s Source for Sports, 3485 Fairview Street, at 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

The Halton Region Health Department has followed up individually with persons who may have been exposed at a health care setting or at an organized event.

“Measles is preventable through immunization with two doses of measles vaccine,” stated Dr. Bob Nosal, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “Persons who have measles need to isolate themselves while they are ill and for four full days after the rash first appears.”

Measles starts with cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and fever, and after about four days a rash begins on the face and moves down the body. There may be white spots inside the mouth. Measles spreads easily to persons who are not immune. Anyone born 1970 or after who has not had two doses of measles vaccine is considered susceptible to measles. Infants under one year of age, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems can get very ill with measles. Complications of measles can include middle ear infections, pneumonia, croup, and inflammation of the brain.

If you think you may have measles and need to see a doctor, you must call ahead to the doctor’s office, walk-in clinic, or emergency department. This will allow health care staff to give you a mask to wear when you arrive and take you straight to a room in which you can be isolated. In a doctor’s office you may be given the last appointment of the day.

For more information, dial 311 or call the Halton Region Health Department at 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-442-5866 or visit www.halton.ca.

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1 comment to Three confirmed measles cases in Burlington; local retail outlets may be source.

  • Shannon Gillies

    I don’t believe those retail outlets were the source. My understanding is that a family with three children were somewhere out of the province, and they believe that’s where the children contracted measles. Before they were aware they had measles, they visited these three stores. The Health Department is alerting the public to the risk of exposure if anyone happened to visit these stores on June 8.