Peel Public Health (PPH) is warning the public after a child, with no connection to another case and no travel history, contracted measles.
The health unit said the case, which was confirmed in a lab, was acquired locally.
Officials are now in the process of contacting those who may have been exposed to the acute viral respiratory illness.
The child attended a number of locations in Mississauga over the last several days including Walmart at 1500 Dundas St. E., between noon and 5 p.m. and Grant’s Foodmart at 3415 Dixie Rd., between 5 and 9 p.m. on June 7, Medical One Centre and Pharmacy for Family Practice and Walk-in Clinic at 620 Bloor St., between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m., on June 9 and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on June 10, and Trillium Health Partners’ Mississauga Site – Emergency Department at 100 Queensway W., between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on June 12.
On June 16, 2023 Trillium Health Partners (THP) was informed by Peel Public Health of a lab-confirmed case of measles in a child who was cared for in Mississauga Hospital’s Emergency Department on Monday, June 12, 2023 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The patient… https://t.co/dGSRkjxNMa
— Trillium Health Partners (@THP_hospital) June 16, 2023
Peel Public Health is advising people to watch for symptoms of the highly contagious virus, which typically begins presenting between seven and 21 days after infection and may include high fever (more than 104 C), cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis, i.e. pink eye), sensitivity to light, and a red rash lasting four to seven days.
Anyone who experiences symptoms is being advised to first contact their health care provider, or if they’re not available, reach out to PPH at 905-799-7700 as soon as possible to discuss follow-up recommendations. Those with symptoms should not go to work or school.
Peel Public Health said people concerned about symptoms should call their healthcare provider before going in to inform them that they may have been in contact with someone who has measles.
The public health unit is also urging anyone who believes they may have been exposed to the virus to check their immunization record to confirm they and their family members are up-to-date with their MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) or MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella) vaccinations.
Measles spreads easily to those who are not vaccinated or have not previously had the virus. Infants under one year of age, unimmunized pregnant individuals, and people with weakened immune systems are at increased risk of complications.
Anyone who is unsure about their immunization record is advised to check with their healthcare provider. Two doses are generally recommended for anyone born after 1969, while the health unit said those born before 1970 are considered protected against measles.
The public health unit noted that all Ontario residents are eligible for two publicly funded doses of the MMR vaccine based on their healthcare provider’s clinical judgment and the patient’s needs.
