While no measles cases have been confirmed locally, officials with Lambton Public Health (LPH) are closely monitoring cases in a number of nearby communities.
An exposure was reported at Chatham Christian School on Thursday, and the highly contagious virus was also detected in Windsor-Essex, Huron Perth, and Middlesex-London.
Lambton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Karalyn Dueck said the measles virus can live in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.
"The most at-risk people are those born after 1970 who do not have two doses of measles-containing immunizations," said Dueck. "When you look at your immunization record, it will read as MMR or MMRV. Those who are most at risk of complications are under-immunized individuals who are infants under one-year-old, pregnant people, or anyone immunocompromised. The best way to prevent measles is staying up to date on your immunization schedule and to check your immunization status and make sure you're up-to-date with vaccinations."
Dr. Dueck recommends contacting your healthcare provider to review records, or visit LPH's website to view your records through the ICON portal.
Symptoms of measles include fever, runny nose, cough, red watery eyes, and drowsiness, followed by a red, blotchy rash that starts on the face and progresses down the body.
Small white spots may appear on the inside of the mouth and throat.
Complications include ear infections, diarrhea, hearing loss, pneumonia, brain swelling (encephalitis), seizures, and in rare cases, death.
There is no specific treatment for measles other than supportive care, but anyone who has been exposed needs to monitor themselves for symptoms for 21 days.
Some people may be eligible to receive post-exposure prophylaxis.
If you think you may have measles and need to see a health care provider, call the clinic or hospital before you go to inform them that you are having symptoms.
As of Thursday, 102 students in Sarnia-Lambton were suspended from school for not providing up-to-date immunization records.
