Measles Exposure North Bay Hospital

Individuals who walked the common areas (hallways and lobby) of the east main entrance or visited the retail pharmacy at the North Bay Regional Health Centre between 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1 to midnight on Thursday, April 3, may have been exposed to measles, the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has confirmed.

NBRHC is working closely with the Health Unit on contact tracing activities to identify and follow-up with known contacts of the visitor, however, they are not able to identify everyone who was exposed.

 “At this time there are no confirmed cases among hospital employees, patients or physicians, and we are taking measures to reduce any further risk to anyone who visits our facilities,” confirms Joanne Laplante, Vice President, Clinical and Chief Nursing Executive at NBRHC. “We ask that anyone who is experiencing measles symptoms and needs to receive care at the hospital, call us in advance (705.474.8600 x. 0) so we can prevent spreading the virus to our patients, employees and other visitors.”

 Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air and can remain in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area. It begins with common symptoms such as a cough and fever, but can potentially lead to serious long-term health complications, including vision or hearing loss, a brain infection, pneumonia, an early birth (if pregnant), or in rare cases, can be fatal. More than 90 per cent of exposed individuals who are not protected against measles will get infected. The Health Unit is operating a measles exposure call centre 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and is extending the hours to 9:30 p.m. on April 9. The Health Unit requests individuals who were at the specified locations during this timeframe and meet the criteria below to call 705-707-1455 as soon as possible to discuss next steps.

 • Infants under 12 months of age

• Immunocompromised individuals

• Individuals born after January 1, 1970, and who are not vaccinated with two doses of a measles vaccine, or haven’t had measles in the past 

 “We need to work together as a community to protect those who are most likely to experience severe outcomes, such as individuals under the age of five, pregnant individuals and people who are immunocompromised or not yet vaccinated,” says Dr. Carol Zimbalatti, medical officer of health. “The best ways to do this are to get vaccinated, and to get public health advice if you have symptoms, or if you were exposed and aren’t adequately protected against measles.”

 The Health Unit is continuing to request calls from individuals affected by the March 29 measles exposures at the Northgate Shopping Centre and Northland Bus Terminal in North Bay. They kindly ask that anyone not at the exposure locations during the times indicated, or who do not meet the criteria, refrain from contacting the call centre so phone lines can stay open for those more likely to have been exposed. Most people born before 1970 are immune to measles. If you are protected against measles, it is very unlikely that you will develop the disease; however, even individuals who have immunity should monitor for the following signs and symptoms:

 •fever greater than 38.3 degrees Celsius (oral)

•cough

•runny nose

•red, watery eyes

•small white spots on the inside of the mouth and throat

•a red blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.

 Individuals who suspect they have measles based on these symptoms, especially those who were exposed, are urged to isolate immediately by staying home, avoiding contact with others, and contact their local clinic or hospital by phone to arrange testing.

Individuals looking to check their measles immunization status can reach out to their healthcare provider or view their records online at myhealthunit.ca/vaccinationrecord.

 For more information, visit myhealthunit.ca/measles.