Editor’s note: The MUHC clarified on Monday the employee was the one who informed the hospital of contracting the measles virus.
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) sent out a warning of measles exposure after an employee contracted the virus in late March.
The employee worked at the Glen Site while contagious between March 23-27, according to a statement from the centre.
“Though the employee in question had limited contact with patients and staff during the incubation period, it is vital that we take all necessary measures to ensure the disease is not spread further within the MUHC,” MUHC infectious diseases specialist Dr. Marie-Astrid Lefebvre said in the statement. “For the moment, there is no evidence that the disease has been transmitted to other people, but we will continue to monitor the situation closely until the end of the incubation period.”
Measles is transmitted through the air or by direct contact with an infected person.
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The centre posted a list of the times and places that someone could have been exposed to the virus in its statement.
The centre says it is now identifying and informing all patients and personnel who may have been exposed.
However, the centre says it is “reassured that the vast majority of people exposed are most likely immune to the measles virus.”
The MUHC initially said it was informed about an employee getting the virus late on Friday by Montreal public health authorities. In fact, the MUHC clarified on Monday the employee was the one who informed the hospital.
You can be immune to measles by being born before 1970, by receiving a vaccine, or if you had the disease before 1996, according to the centre.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny or stuffy nose, red and watery eyes and tiny white spots in the mouth.
Two to four days after these symptoms, a rash will appear first on the face, then extremities for three to seven days.
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Measles can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia or inflammation of the brain.
The centre urges MUHC patients who are not immune to contact them at 514-934-8007.
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