Toronto Public Health Investigating Possible Measles Exposure at Pearson Airport
Published May 13, 2019 at 6:12 pm
If you’ve visited Pearson Airport recently, it’s possible that you may have been exposed to the measles virus.
Toronto Public Health (TPH) is currently investigating two lab-confirmed and travel-related cases of measles in adults, and has listed several locations in which measles exposure may have occurred.
One of these locations is Pearson International Airport. Exposure may have occurred at Terminal 1 on May 5 between 6:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., and on May 8 between 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
“There has been an increase in global measles cases and this affects what we are seeing locally,” says Dr. Eileen de Villa, Medical Officer of Health. “We are therefore reminding people to check their measles vaccination history, especially before any international travel.”
While the risk of acquiring measles is believed to be low, TPH advises anyone who may have been exposed to the virus to make sure they and their family is up to date on their measles vaccinations (MMR or MMRV) and check for symptoms of measles, which include a high fever, cold-like symptoms (cough/runny nose), sore eyes or sensitivity to light, and a red rash lasting four to seven days.
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact their health care provider as soon as possible and avoid going to work or school.
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“Some adults born after 1970 may have only received one dose of measles containing vaccine and may therefore be more susceptible to measles when traveling to areas experiencing higher rates of measles,” de Villa says. “We encourage people to speak with their health care provider about measles before travelling to affected areas and if you have any concerns about a possible recent exposure to measles for you, or a member of your family.”
For more information on the measles virus and how to protect yourself against it, click here.
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