After 30 new cases were diagnosed over the weekend, Alberta surpassed the US in confirmed measles cases.
When it was declared eradicated in Canada in 1998, measles revived and spread rapidly in recent months due to a decline in vaccination rates.
The state has seen 1,314 cases since the beginning of March.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported 1,288 cases in 39 states so far this year.
Joan Robinson, a pediatric infectious disease doctor at Stories Children's Hospital in Edmonton, said there's no reason why Alberta should have so many cases.
“It's totally ridiculous,” she said. He said that childhood vaccination rates in Alberta are below herd immunity thresholds, and measles requires at least 95% of the population to be immunized.
Alberta government data on Monday showed the labs had data from people with confirmed cases, showing that more than 1,000 of them had not been vaccinated.
The majority of people who get sick are children and teenagers who make up more than 950 cases.
Dr. Robinson has condemned misinformation that spread during the Covid-19 pandemic, and recently his parents have not been exposed to the fear of measles.
“They may be worried that the vaccine is bad without realizing it is a severe infection. Measles children are hospitalized in hospital, with about 1 in 10 people with measles being hospitalized. Encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, can cause long-term brain damage and certainly can lead to death.
“I don't think my parents realize that measles is a much more severe infection than Covid, the flu or chicken.
Robinson said immunity in the pack is important not only to protect your own family, but also to protect other children who are not vaccinated, such as those who have had a heart transplant or who are undergoing chemotherapy.
“Even if measles gets vaccinated before they get cancer or a transplant, they are at a very high risk.
“It's extremely scary to see these children and their parents exposed to measles.”
Known for its distinctive red rash, measles is one of the most infectious viruses on the planet, with an R of 12 to 18. This means that one infected person can spread to up to 18 people in the unvaccinated population.
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Looking at it, the R of the original strain of Covid-19 was around 2-3, and even the highly contagious variants like Omicron rarely exceeded 10.
The outbreak of highly contagious diseases has so far resulted in no deaths in Alberta.
Three people, including two children, have died in the United States. Last month, in Ontario, a premature baby died after being born with a highly contagious virus through her mother.
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In that case, the doctor said measles was an important contributor, but remie also had other serious medical complications not related to the virus.
The US also sees more hospitalizations than Alberta, with the CDC reporting 162 people hospitalized compared to more than 100 Albertans.
Summer events can lead to increased numbers
The numbers could increase in the coming weeks.
Dr. Carla Gustafson, medical director of the Calgary Zone Health Department for Alberta Health Services, said an influx of people hiking the Rockies and visiting the state to attend Calgary Stampede (which just ended Sunday) would give me a great opportunity.
“Of course, measles is very, very contagious and will spread through travel and people moving around,” Gustafson said last week.
Over the last week and a half, Alberta hosted more than a million people to create new potential opportunities for the virus to circulate, just like its biggest annual attraction, the Calgary Stampede, and summer camps, baseball tournaments and family camp trips.
Already, both the northern and southern zones of the AHS have issued permanent exposure recommendations. People in certain communities should assume that at any time they are at risk of catching the most contagious diseases in the world.
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Dr. James Talbot, former Alberta health director, said that a significant number of cases in two to four weeks are very likely to be trampled down not only in Calgary but also in other parts of the state where visitors have returned to Japan, both domestically and overseas.
Alberta has just under 5 million people, but the US population is over 341 million.
“It's not shocking that states like us have more cases of measles than the entire United States, with a population of 70 times larger than Alberta's. It's proof that Daniel Smith's UCP government has failed us all.”
“This was not written in stone. This spread may have been prevented with excellent public health measures, vaccination campaigns and ministers who may have tried to stop it.”
Global News contacted the Alberta government about the state's latest figures. This story will be updated when a response is received.
Measles can “erase” the immune system's memory
Measles is a highly contagious disease and can easily spread in the air.
Symptoms include:
A rash of 38.3°C or high volume, runny nose and/or red eyes usually spreads across the body, behind the ears and behind the face, then on the arms and legs. The rash is red and has spots on mild skin tone. With skin tone, it may look purple or darker than the surrounding skin, or it may be difficult to see.
Complications of measles include ear infections, pneumonia, brain inflammation, early delivery and rare death.
Highly contagious viruses don't just cause rashes and fever. It can also wipe out memories of the immune system and become a vulnerable survivor to previously fought infections, such as flu, colds, and even vaccinated illnesses.
Health Canada warns that measles can lead to severe immunosuppression known as immune amnesia. This increases the risk of other illnesses and even increases the likelihood of death months or years after infection, health agencies say on their website.
People who are pregnant or have weakened their immune system or babies under the age of one year are at their greatest risk.
If measles symptoms develop, individuals are advised to stay home at 811 and call the health link before visiting a medical facility or provider, including their family doctor or pharmacy.
The measles vaccine is extremely effective in preventing infections and complications and is available freely in Alberta.
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– Hannah Alberga and Jacques Farrell, with files from Canadian media