Friday, August 2, 2024 Travelers are being urged to stay alert for specific health symptoms that may signal a widespread infectious disease. According to guidelines from Canada.ca, unvaccinated travelers pose a significant health risk to both fellow tourists and locals.
“Measles cases and outbreaks still happen in Canada,” the website cautions. “Typically, cases occur when an unvaccinated person travels to or from a country where measles is prevalent, potentially spreading the virus among those who are not immune.” Early signs of measles include a fever, cough, runny nose, and sore, watery eyes.
About three to seven days after these initial symptoms, a rash may appear on the face and spread to other body parts, including limbs. This rash typically presents as red splotches and mottled areas lasting four to seven days. On darker skin tones, the rash may appear as purple or a deeper hue than the surrounding skin.
Certain individuals are at greater risk of developing severe complications from measles. These high-risk groups include: Although rare, severe complications can lead to deafness and brain injury due to brain inflammation, which can be fatal. To be immune to measles, individuals must either be vaccinated or have had a laboratory-confirmed measles infection.
Experts stress that measles is highly contagious, with over 90 percent of non-immune individuals contracting the virus upon exposure. Infected individuals can spread the virus even before the rash appears, often before realizing they have measles. It is crucial for parents to ensure their children receive the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine according to their regional vaccination schedule.
For more information on measles and vaccinations, visit the NHS website. The MMR vaccine is available to all children in the UK and provides lifelong immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella. If uncertain about vaccination status, individuals should consult their GP surgery.
The vaccine is administered free of charge through the NHS..
