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Measles & Rubella Weekly Monitoring Report – Week 39: September 23 to September 29, 2018 

Key Points

  • In Canada, one new case of measles and one new case of congenital rubella syndrome were reported in week 39, 2018.
  • Twenty-five cases of measles and one case of congenital rubella syndrome have been reported in Canada in 2018.
  • Globally, there are large measles outbreaks reported across Europe which have affected a large number of countries. Canadians travelling to Europe and Venezuela are invited to consult the travel health notices for more information.

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Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

Date published: 2018-10-12

Related Topics

Epidemiological summary

During epidemiological week 39, 2018 one new laboratory-confirmed case of measles and one new laboratory confirmed case of congenital rubella syndrome were reported in Canada1 . The measles case was reported by the province of Manitoba. This case was imported from Southeast Asia and had rash onset in epidemiological week 38. The congenital rubella syndrome case was reported by the province of Saskatchewan and was in a newborn whose mother acquired the infection while visiting West Africa.

To date in 2018, a total of 25 cases of measles and 1 case of congenital rubella syndrome have been reported. The majority of measles cases were unique importations and a few of those resulted in transmissions in Canada.

Figure 1: Number of cases of measles (n=25),  rubella (n=0), and congenital rubella syndrome (n=1)Footnote 2  by week of rash onset, as reported to the Canadian Measles/Rubella Surveillance System (CMRSS) and Measles and Rubella Surveillance System (MARS), for the period ending September 29, 2018.

Figure 1 - Long Description
Figure 1: Number of cases measles (n=25), rubella (n=0) and congenital rubella syndrome/infection (n=1), by week of rash onset, as reported to the Canadian Measles/ Rubella Surveillance System (CMRSS) and Measles and Rubella Surveillance system (MARS), for the period ending September 29, 2018.
Epidemiological Week of Rash Onset, 2018 Number of confirmed measles cases reported Number of confirmed rubella cases reported Number of confirmed congenital rubella syndrome/infection cases reported
1 0 0 0
2 0 0 0
3 0 0 0
4 1 0 0
5 0 0 0
6 1 0 0
7 1 0 0
8 0 0 0
9 0 0 0
10 1 0 0
11 0 0 0
12 0 0 0
13 0 0 0
14 1 0 0
15 1 0 0
16 2 0 0
17 1 0 0
18 1 0 0
19 1 0 0
20 0 0 0
21 0 0 0
22 3 0 0
23 1 0 0
24 1 0 0
25 1 0 0
26 1 0 0
27 0 0 0
28 1 0 0
29 0 0 0
30 0 0 0
31 2 0 0
32 0 0 0
33 0 0 1
34 1 0 0
35 0 0 0
36 1 0 0
37 1 0 0
38 1 0 0
39 0 0 0
40 0 0 0
41 0 0 0
42 0 0 0
43 0 0 0
44 0 0 0
45 0 0 0
46 0 0 0
47 0 0 0
48 0 0 0
49 0 0 0
50 0 0 0
51 0 0 0
52 0 0 0
Missing Rash Onset 0 0 0
Cases (year-to-date) 25 0 1

Geographic distribution

There are currently two active cases Footnote *  of measles reported in Canada.

There is one reported active case of congenital rubella syndrome in Canada.

Figure 2: Distribution of activeFootnote *, confirmed measles cases by health region.

Figure 2 - Text Description
Figure 2: Distribution of active Figure 2 Table - Footnote * confirmed measles cases by health region
Health Region Measles Active Cases
Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority 0
Central Regional Integrated Health Authority 0
Western Regional Integrated Health Authority 0
Labrador-Grenfell Regional Integrated Health Authority 0
Prince Edward Island 0
South Shore District Health Authority 0
South West Nova District Health Authority 0
Annapolis Valley District Health Authority 0
Colchester East Hants Health Authority 0
Cumberland Health Authority 0
Pictou County Health Authority 0
Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority 0
Cape Breton District Health Authority 0
Capital District Health Authority 0
Zone 1 (NB) 0
Zone 2 (NB) 0
Zone 3 (NB) 0
Zone 4 (NB) 0
Zone 5 (NB) 0
Zone 6 (NB) 0
Zone 7 (NB) 0
Québec et Chaudières-Appalaches 0
Centre-du-Québec 0
Montréal et Laval 0
Ouest-du-Québec 0
Montérégie 0
Nord-Est 0
Ontario Central East 0
Ontario Central West 0
Ontario Eastern 0
Ontario North East 0
Ontario North West 0
Ontario South West 0
City of Toronto Health Unit 0
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 0
Prairie Mountain Health 0
Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority 1
Northern Regional Health Authority 0
Southern Health 0
Saskatchewan South 0
Saskatchewan Central 0
Saskatchewan North 0
South Zone 0
Calgary Zone 0
Central Zone 0
Edmonton Zone 0
North Zone 0
British Columbia 1
Yukon 0
Northwest Territories 0
Nunavut 0
Figure 2 Table - Footnote *

Active cases or outbreaks are those in which the onset date of the most recent case/outbreak-associated case falls within 32 days of the issue date of this reportFootnote 2.

Return to Figure 2 Table - Footnote * referrer

 

FIGURE 3: Distribution of activeFootnote **, confirmed rubella and congenital rubella syndrome/infection cases by health region

Figure 3 - Text Descripiton
Distribution of activeFigure 3 Table - Footnote i, confirmed rubella and congenital rubella syndrome/infection cases by health region.
Health Region Rubella or CRS/CSI Active Cases
Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority 0
Central Regional Integrated Health Authority 0
Western Regional Integrated Health Authority 0
Labrador-Grenfell Regional Integrated Health Authority 0
Prince Edward Island 0
South Shore District Health Authority 0
South West Nova District Health Authority 0
Annapolis Valley District Health Authority 0
Colchester East Hants Health Authority 0
Cumberland Health Authority 0
Pictou County Health Authority 0
Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority 0
Cape Breton District Health Authority 0
Capital District Health Authority 0
Zone 1 (NB) 0
Zone 2 (NB) 0
Zone 3 (NB) 0
Zone 4 (NB) 0
Zone 5 (NB) 0
Zone 6 (NB) 0
Zone 7 (NB) 0
Québec et Chaudières-Appalaches 0
Centre-du-Québec 0
Montréal et Laval 0
Ouest-du-Québec 0
Montérégie 0
Nord-Est 0
Ontario Central East 0
Ontario Central West 0
Ontario Eastern 0
Ontario North East 0
Ontario North West 0
Ontario South West 0
City of Toronto Health Unit 0
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 0
Prairie Mountain Health 0
Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority 0
Northern Regional Health Authority 0
Southern Health 0
Saskatchewan South 1
Saskatchewan Central 0
Saskatchewan North 0
South Zone 0
Calgary Zone 0
Central Zone 0
Edmonton Zone 0
North Zone 0
British Columbia 0
Yukon 0
Northwest Territories 0
Nunavut 0
Figure 3 Table - Footnote i

The case of congenital rubella syndrome is being monitored.

Return to Figure i Table - Footnote i referrer

Laboratory summary

Measles

In 2018, 23 cases of measles have been genotyped and the genotypes were B3 (n=5) and D8 (n=18) (Figure 4).

Measles genotype D8, identical to the WHO named strain MVs/Samut Sakhon.THA/49.16, was detected in the case reported by the province of Manitoba with rash onset in epidemiological week 38. Measles genotype D8 is endemic in the South East Asian region.

Figure 4: Distribution of measles genotypes detected in 2018 (n=23) by weekFootnote †  of rash onset.

 
Figure 4 - Long Description
Figure 4: Distribution of measles genotypes detected in 2018 (n=23) by weekFigure 2 - Note † of rash onset.
Epi week B3 B3 - Harare D4 D8 D8 - Taunton D9 H1 Total
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
7 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
17 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
18 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
19 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3
23 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
24 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
25 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
27 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
32 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
34 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
36 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
37 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
38 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
39 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
41 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
42 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
43 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
44 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
46 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
47 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
48 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
52 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 5 0 0 18 0 0 0 23

The current global distribution of measles genotypes can be found on the WHO Measles Surveillance website.

For information regarding the interpretation and use of measles genotyping (including a discussion of genotypes and sequence variants), refer to Hiebert J and Severini A. Canada Communicable Disease Report. 2014;  40-12: 257- 260. 

Rubella

In 2018, there has been one rubella (congenital rubella syndrome) case genotyped and it was genotype 2B.

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