Canada has misplaced its measles elimination status amid a large, ongoing outbreak of the virus, Public Health Agency of Canada stated Monday.
Canada’s well being company was knowledgeable by the World Health Organization that it had misplaced its measles elimination status after 12 months of uninterrupted transmission.
Canada has skilled on-going transmission of the virus since October 2024.
“PAHO’s Measles and Rubella Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission reviewed recent epidemiological and laboratory data, confirming sustained transmission of the same measles virus strain in Canada for a period of more than one year,” public well being officers stated in a assertion from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
“Canada can re-establish its measles elimination status once transmission of the measles strain associated with the current outbreak is interrupted for at least 12 months,” it stated.
Last month marked 12 months of steady measles transmission in Canada, because the nation tallied greater than 5,000 instances for the yr — greater than twice as many because the nation has recorded prior to now 25 years mixed. The outbreak is centered in Ontario.
This is a breaking information story and might be up to date.