Physicians brace for summer travel season as Alberta tops 800 measles cases
CBC
As summer approaches, Alberta's measles case counts are expected to keep climbing and some experts worry transmission will become even more widespread.
With 31 new cases reported over the weekend, Alberta's total case count jumped to 809 by midday Monday.
Five people are currently hospitalized due to the virus, including two patients who are in intensive care.
The outbreaks began in March and while cases have been confirmed in all zones, the south, central and north zones are the hardest hit.
"This is not showing signs of slowing at this point," said Caroline Colijn, a professor and Canada Research Chair of Mathematics for Evolution, Infection and Public Health at Simon Fraser University.
She predicts Alberta's measles case counts will keep climbing for months.
"I would expect it will continue to transmit and find pathways through our population to reach people who are not protected."
Dr. Sam Wong, president of the Alberta Medical Association's section of pediatrics, is worried about what's to come.
"In a few weeks' time, if the numbers keep going ... I think that we're going to hit over 1,000 [cases]. We're going to hit more measles cases in Alberta than they have in the States," said Wong.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,168 cases had been confirmed in the entire country, as of June 6.
"That is mind-boggling to me," Wong said. "And it speaks to the failure of the [Alberta] government to do their job when they could have done it earlier on."
At the University of Calgary, Craig Jenne will be watching the trends in the coming weeks.
He's concerned summer activities, such as travel, could spark even more widespread transmission.
"As we get into the next several weeks people will be starting summer vacations. We will see festivals ... Calgary Stampede is in a few weeks. We may then see community level transmission expand beyond the south zone," said Jenne, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases.
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