The number of Albertans who have contracted measles since cases were first detected in March has now reached 326.
The Alberta government’s latest update reports 13 more cases of the highly contagious disease.There are three people with measles in intensive care; 97 of the confirmed cases are in children under five years of age and nearly two-thirds of the the cases (200) are in the province’s south health zone, which includes Lethbridge, Taber and Medicine Hat.
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Alberta’s former Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. James Talbot, said the real number of cases of measles in the province is likely much higher than the confirmed cases because of the lag time between when people become infected and its confirmed by a lab.
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Alberta’s former chief medical health officer, Dr. James Talbot, warned on Thursday that the total number of cases is likely much higher than reported because of the lag time between when someone is infected, symptoms develop, the case is reported and then confirmed by a lab test. Story continues below advertisement
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So far there have been no deaths from measles in Alberta, but health experts warn that for every 1,000 cases, one to three people will likely die.
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Health Minister Adriana LaGrange announced a new public awareness campaign earlier this week, urging Albertans: Don’t get measles, get vaccinated.
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Talbot and other doctors with the Alberta Medical Association have also sounded the alarm about the province’s low vaccination rate — with only 68 percent of children under the age of two having gotten the recommended two doses of the vaccine.More information on measles, including the symptoms, long-term health impacts, immunization efforts and the latest number of confirmed cases in the province is available online at alberta.ca/measles. — with files from The Canadian Press.
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