Premature baby dies from measles in Alberta as cases throughout province near 2,000
Global News
An infant born prematurely died shortly after being born, after its mother contracted measles during pregnancy, Alberta's health minister said.
An infant in Alberta has died from the measles as cases creep close to 2,000 throughout the province, according to the government’s dashboard.
It’s Alberta’s first death since the most contagious virus on earth made a resurgence in Canada.
A child, born prematurely after the mother contracted measles during pregnancy, died shortly after birth, the province said on Thursday.
“Since measles cases were first reported in Alberta this spring, I had hoped this moment would not come,” said Health Minister Adriana LaGrange in a statement to Global News.
It’s not known where in Alberta the baby was born and died, or when.
The province said children under five, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems face the greatest risks from measles.
Measles during pregnancy can lead to serious complications, including miscarriage, preterm labour, stillbirth, and congenital infection.
A similar tragedy occurred in Ontario back in June, when a premature infant died after being born infected with the highly contagious virus through its mother.
