Toronto Public Health warns of possible measles exposure at major tourist attraction

Health officials in Toronto are warning of a possible measles exposure at one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions.

Toronto Public Health said that on Monday, April 21, someone with a case of measles had visited Ripley’s Aquarium, beside the CN Tower.

People who attended the attraction between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. that day are being warned they could potentially have been exposed to the highly contagious virus, which spreads mainly through the air.

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Measles leads to symptoms like fever, runny nose and a red rash that begins on the face. It can develop further, resulting sometimes in hospitalizations and even death.

Cases were rare in Ontario until a recent outbreak, which began back in October and has been traced to a gathering in Atlantic Canada.

In the past week, Ontario recorded 223 new infections in just seven days. It took the total number of cases since the outbreak began to 1,243.

Toronto has recorded three of those cases.

Anyone who visited Ripley’s during the potential exposure is advised by public health to monitor themselves for symptoms until May 12.