SHA doctor explains why measles notice was posted in Saskatoon

Last week’s note from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) about a case of the measles being detected in Saskatoon raised some eyebrows for people in the community.

The case was contracted by an individual through international travel, which could have led the contagious person to infect more people once they returned from their trip.

“The symptoms are not very specific at the beginning,” Dr. Simon Kapaj of the SHA said on The Evan Bray Show on Tuesday. “If someone has contracted the virus, for example, through travel, the symptoms will include fever, cough, running nose and red eyes. After a few days, there is (sometimes) a rash that could start in the face and then it could spread quickly.”

Because of that, Kapaj noted the right thing to do was to let people in possible affected areas know they could’ve been exposed.

“We always focus on the fact that individuals who have been close contacts to the case can likely see symptoms,” he said. “Otherwise, the risk to the general public is very low.

“What our public health team has done in the last few years is we have narrowed down the individuals that could’ve been exposed to measles. The individuals who could’ve contracted measles from the case are advised to monitor for symptoms from measles. Individuals who have a rash are actually infectious four days before the rash and four days after.”

For those who came in contact with the positive case, the SHA advised them to call 811 for further guidance and not to go to places like the emergency room or the physician’s office so they don’t infect anyone else.

It’s not yet known if there have been more positive cases because of the measles case detected in Saskatoon just over two weeks ago.

While Canada and most of the western world are protected against the measles, Kapaj suggests cases can pop up from time to time.

“Measles is a virus and has been around a very long time. Canada doesn’t see many cases of measles and the reason is because we have immunity,” he explained. “However, we do see infrequently new cases of measles in the community which are most likely related to travel.”

He notes measles can have long-term consequences, which are mostly seen in countries with poor health-care systems.

Some of those consequences can lead to lung infections, ear infections, inflammation in the brain and possibly death.

“There are millions of people who lose their lives every year because of the measles,” Kapaj stated. “It’s a risk.”