N.S. health officials warn of possible measles exposure at Halifax hospital

Public health officials in Nova Scotia are warning of a potential exposure to measles at a hospital in Halifax.

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They say an individual travelled through Halifax and visited the emergency department at the Halifax Infirmary on Robie Street on April 17 for symptoms unrelated to measles.

However, they say that person later developed measles and they had been contagious at the time of their emergency department visit in Halifax.

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Anyone who visited the Halifax Infirmary’s emergency department on April 17 from 12 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. may have been exposed to measles and may develop symptoms between now and May 8.

Those symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes; a red, blotchy rash on the face that spreads down the body; sleepiness and irritability; and small white spots inside the mouth and throat.

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The illness is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets, or through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.

Most people fully recover within a few weeks, but measles can have serious complications, which are more likely in infants, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.

Public health officials in New Brunswick are currently investigating the case in the Saint John area.

READ MORE: Measles case confirmed in Saint John