Health officials in Manitoba are cautioning individuals who visited a hospital waiting room in The Pas recently about potential measles exposure. The advisory pertains to those present in the emergency department waiting area at St. Anthony’s General Hospital on Monday, Sept. 28, between 8:20 a.m. and 10:35 a.m. These individuals are advised to be vigilant for symptoms of measles and review their immunization records for updated vaccinations, as stated in a news release on Friday.
Measles symptoms typically start with a cough, fever, runny nose, and pink eye, followed by the appearance of white spots in the mouth and a subsequent red rash a few days later. The virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted from four days before the rash emerges to four days after. Measles spreads through airborne droplets from coughing, sneezing, or talking, with the virus remaining viable in the air for up to two hours.
Immunization is emphasized as the primary defense against measles, with Manitoba reporting 612 confirmed cases and 78 probable cases this year up to Sept. 26, according to official data. The disease incidence has decreased since the peak earlier this year, with only two confirmed cases in August. Notably, since the outbreak in February 2025, 52 measles patients have been hospitalized, including 26 children under 10 years old, with six requiring intensive care.
While Manitoba has seen a decline in measles cases, the province continues to account for a significant portion of Canada’s total cases this year, with more than half of the 1,120 reported cases nationally as of Sept. 19. Despite the outbreak, no fatalities have been reported in Manitoba. Additionally, federal data for the week of Sept. 13-19 revealed no new measles cases across Canada.