Toronto Public Health has issued a red measles advisory after a person with the disease exposed other people at several Toronto locations, including Sunnybrook hospital.
The infected person is a 51-year-old woman who likely picked up the disease while travelling in Europe, Dr. Vinita Dubey, an associate medical officer of health, told a news conference on Monday.
"The reason why we're going public today is because of the public places where this individual attended," she said, adding they don't have a list of who might have been there and encountered her.
The locations, dates and times the woman attended:
Oct. 26, 1 - 4:30 p.m., Fine Asian Bowl restaurant, 1634 Bayview Ave.
Oct. 27: 3 - 5 p.m., Design Source Furniture, 203 Wildcat Rd.
Oct. 30: 8 a.m. to November 1, 11 a.m., Sunnybrook Hospital Emergency Room
"Measles is a reportable disease," Dubey said, adding they just received the tests confirming the woman had red measles "recently."
The disease is considered highly contagious. People can catch measles by coming in contact with droplets from the nose and throat of an infected person.
"A person with measles can infect others from four days before the rash to five days after," Dubey warned.
People born before 1970 are considered to be immune.
People born in or after 1970 and who have not been inoculated against the disease and were at the above locations should watch for the symptoms of measles, Dubey said.
Those symptoms include:
- cough
- runny nose
- fever
- white spots in the mouth
- red, watery eyes that are sensitive to light
A red rash usually follows after the above symptoms. It lasts about six days.
For healthy adults, anyone who comes down with measles may be sick for about 10 days, but will usually recover completely.
Measles is more serious for infants. Complications can include pneumonia and encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.
Pregnant women who become infected with measles are at higher risk for premature deliveries and miscarriages.
