17 hours Ago By CBC
There have now been three confirmed cases of measles in Windsor-Essex, the health unit reported Monday evening. In a news release, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) said two additional cases have been confirmed, after one was first reported last week. "Additional cases and exposure risks are expected over the coming days and weeks," the health unit said in a statement.
"We are working closely with neighbouring health units as part of a provincial response and are in regular communication with the Ontario Ministry of Health regarding the situation in Windsor and Essex County." The health unit has also identified new exposure locations, in addition to some reported over the weekend. Anyone who visited the following locations on and during these dates and times is asked to monitor for symptoms of measles for seven to 21 days: Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles, the health unit reminds residents.
The risk of measles is serious for those who are unvaccinated. People born before 1970 are considered immune to measles, while those who were born after 1970 may need an additional dose of vaccine. Children between 1 and 17 years old need two doses of the measles vaccine for immunity.
The health unit will post daily measles case numbers to its website, and exposure notifications will be posted through the health unit's mailing list and its social media. Ontario has seen a sharp uptick in cases of measles in recent weeks, so much so that health officials are calling it the largest outbreak in the province in the past 30 years. "It was not that much of a surprise seeing the trends," Dr.
Mehdi Aloosh, the region's medical officer of health, said last week. "You know that the disease is coming. It's not whether they're coming — it's about when they're coming to our region.
" Residents can visit wechu.org for more information. There is also a confirmed case of measles in Chatham-Kent, the region's public health unit said last week, with a handful of reported exposure locations.
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