Worried about measles in southwestern Ontario? Here's what you need to know

As measles cases continue to grow in southwestern Ontario, health officials say people need to make sure they are informed and vaccinated. 

After years without locally acquired measles cases, both Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent are now seeing the disease spread in the community. Health officials in both regions say it's a fluid situation, with cases likely to increase in the coming weeks.

Since January, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has reported six cases and the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit has reported seven cases as of Tuesday evening. 

"I understand the concern of our community," said Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex. 

"We are monitoring the situation carefully as it evolves. We are in conversation with our neighbouring health unit to understand the behaviour of disease in those communities."

The Middlesex-London Health Unit also reported its first case this week. 

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection. It is spread through the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks. 

Symptoms include:

It is estimated nearly one to three of every 1,000 children who become infected will die from complications, such as pneumonia and a swelling of the brain called encephalitis.

There is no specific antiviral treatment for measles infection, which needs to run its course, though medications are available to help manage symptoms.

Droplets containing the measles virus can stay in the air for several hours, and the virus remains infectious on contaminated surfaces for up to two hours.

"The people that we're most worried about are unvaccinated people, because they're the people that are most susceptible to getting measles if they're exposed," said Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, acting medical officer of health for Chatham-Kent.

If you have received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) or measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMVR) vaccine, health officials say you are highly protected. According to the Canadian government, the efficacy of one dose of the vaccine is estimated to be between 85 and 95 per cent, with two doses bringing that to 100 per cent. 

In Ontario, kids are expected to receive the first vaccine dose at 12 months and then a second dose between four and six years old. To check your of your kids' vaccination status, you can speak with your family doctor, look at your vaccination record or check your record online.