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Manitoba’s measles count is soaring, with 57 confirmed new cases since last week, bringing the monthly total to 139.
There have been 215 confirmed cases and 22 probable cases in less than two months this year, the latest data from the province — released Friday — shows. There is still a week to go for February numbers, as the current data is only up to Feb. 21.
There were 319 confirmed and 29 probable cases in all of 2025. The highest monthly total was 72 in May.
A total of 30 people have been hospitalized in Manitoba because of measles, including three admitted to intensive care, since the start of February 2025. The highly contagious respiratory virus causes a severe, full-body red rash, high fever, cough and watery eyes.
Three of the hospitalizations have come since the province’s last update a week ago. Of the 30 people hospitalized, 29 were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, and 18 were under the age of 10.
Measles cases in Manitoba (Manitoba government)
Of all positive cases to date, 84.1 per cent involved people with no doses of the measles vaccine, according to the provincial data. The status was unknown for 4.6 per cent of the cases.
Another 5.1 per cent had a single dose, and 6.2 per cent had two or more doses.
Manitoba remains the measles hot spot in the country, according to the federal government’s health data, which has yet to be updated with the latest cases.
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, has said he expected the case count to continue increasing after a mass exposure event at Ag Days in Brandon, Canada’s largest indoor farm show, in late January.
This week, the province warned of an exposure at the Brandon Regional Health Centre emergency department waiting room on Feb. 21.
Anyone who was at that location between 12:50 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. is advised to check their immunization records and ensure they are up to date with the measles vaccine.
The province announced earlier this month that it will only release measles exposure notifications in cases where the exposure happened in the past six days, because those at risk could still benefit from preventative treatment.
Recent exposure sites are updated on the province’s website.
There is no cure for measles. Treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms.
The initial symptoms include fever, malaise, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis — also called pink eye. Patients usually get white spots on the inside of the mouth about two to three days later, and then a rash that can be painful.
People with confirmed cases are infectious from four days before the rash to four days after it appears.
The disease spreads through droplets that form in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, and the virus can linger in the air for two hours.