Manitoba public health officials say anyone who was at the Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic in Neepawa on Feb. 13 between 3:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. may have been exposed to measles. (Aleksandr Finch/Shutterstock – image credit)
Manitoba health officials are warning that people may have been exposed to measles at a medical clinic in Neepawa last week.
Anyone who was at the Beautiful Plains Community Medical Clinic on Mountain Avenue in Neepawa on Feb. 13 between 3:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. should monitor for symptoms until March 7, the province said in a Wednesday news release.
Members of the public who were there at that time are encouraged to check their immunization records to make sure they are up to date.
Those who may have been exposed but haven’t been vaccinated against measles could be eligible for preventative treatment within six days of exposure, the province said.
Immunization is the only way to protect people from contracting measles, Manitoba Health said.
There have been 119 confirmed cases of measles in Manitoba so far this year, according to provincial health data that covers up to Feb. 7. There have been 10 probable cases so far.
In the first week of February alone, there were 44 confirmed cases — more than six confirmed cases per day — and three probable cases.
Measles is a highly contagious disease transmitted by droplets that form in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
Spending just a few minutes in the same space as a sick person can put you at risk, as the virus can linger in the air for two hours, public health said.
Symptoms include fever, runny nose, drowsiness, red eyes, small white spots on the inside of the mouth or throat, and a red skin rash. Symptoms generally appear within a week to three weeks after exposure.
A full list of recent exposure sites across the province is available on the Manitoba government’s website.