People are being advised to take caution as Nova Scotia health officials say there are now 13 confirmed cases of measles in the province’s latest outbreak, with all cases believed to be linked.
READ MORE: Another case of travel-related measles confirmed in Nova Scotia
The province’s deputy chief medical officer of health Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed said in a N.S. Health Authority release that the cases are linked in the same way, with people having been in the same location as someone infected with the virus.
“While the number of cases has increased in this particular outbreak, it’s not a surprise given how contagious measles is,” Watson-Creed said.
She said measures have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus at health-care facilities as some of the confirmed cases are health-care workers.
Lesley Mulcahy with Public Health told Global News the first case of the current outbreak of 13 cases involved a WestJet flight near the middle of March. A second travel-related case was then confirmed on March 20.
“They’re all linked in some way, so that’s why they’re all considered part of the same outbreak,” Mulcahy said.
She said areas where measles exposures may have occurred based on the current cases are South Shore, southwest Nova Scotia, Halifax and Truro.
Watson-Creed said there is low risk to the public, as most people in the province have been vaccinated.
Nova Scotians born after 1970 are eligible to receive two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine at no cost. People should check with their health-care provider to determine if they have had two doses.
READ MORE: Measles outbreak confirmed after 7 cases diagnosed in Halifax
The cluster, she said, is not linked to the outbreak that affected seven people in Halifax in February.
In total, Mulcahy said there have been 20 confirmed cases of measles in Nova Scotia this year.
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