RED DEER COUNTY – Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued a health advisory Saturday alerting the public to possible measles exposure at two Red Deer County restaurants the week previous.
“(AHS) has been notified of a person with confirmed measles in the Central Zone who has been in a public setting while infectious. Additional locations may be released if necessary,” the July 19 advisory says.
Individuals who were at the Tim Hortons/Wendy’s location at 100-139 Leva Avenue in Gasoline Alley on July 11 between approximately 1 and 3:30 p.m. may have been exposed to measles, AHS said.
“Anyone who attended this location at these times, who was born in or after 1970 and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine, is at risk for developing measles,” the AHS advisory says.
AHS advises to self-monitor for symptoms of measles and strongly encourages review of immunization records.
“Measles is an extremely contagious disease and is spread easily through the air,” says AHS.
Symptoms of measles include:
• fever of 38.3 degrees Celsius or higher; and
• cough, runny nose and/or red eyes; and
• rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, usually beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and then to the arms and legs. The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours. On darker skin colours, it can appear purple or darker than the skin around it, or it might be hard to see.
"Complications of measles can include ear infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, premature delivery, and rarely death. Persons who are pregnant, less than one year of age, or have weakened immune systems are at greatest risk," AHS says.
If symptoms of measles do develop, individuals are advised to stay home and call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting any health-care facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy.
According to AHS, there is ongoing transmission of measles across Alberta, with numerous babies, children and adults being impacted. Cases have been reported across all zones, and in clusters of high numbers, particularly in southern, central and parts of northern Alberta.
"All individuals living, working, attending school in, or travelling to these areas are advised to be aware of the significant current risk for measles disease," AHS says.
