Measles and  Rubella Weekly Monitoring Report – Week 44: October 27 to November 2, 2019

Key points:

  • In Canada, no new cases of measles or rubella were reported in week 44, 2019.
  • Currently, there are no activeFootnote 1 cases of measles in Canada.
  • One hundred and twelve (112) cases of measles and no cases of rubella have been reported in Canada in 2019. These cases were reported by Québec, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
  • Canadians travelling outside of Canada are encouraged to consult the travel health notices for information on measles and rubella outbreaks occurring in other countries.

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Epidemiological summary

During epidemiological week 44, 2019 no new confirmed cases of measles or rubella were reported in CanadaFootnote 2. To date in 2019, 112 cases of measles and no cases of rubella have been reported. The last case of rubella was reported in 2016 and the last case of congenital rubella syndrome/infection was reported in September 2018.

Figure 1: Number of cases of measles (n=112), rubella (n=0), and congenital rubella syndromeFootnote 3 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 November 2, 2019.
fig1
Figure 1 - Text equivalent
Figure 1: Number of cases of measles (n=112), rubella (n=0), and congenital rubella syndromeFootnote 3 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 November 2, 2019.
Epidemiological Week of Rash Onset, 2019 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 1 0 0
3 0 0 0
4 1 0 0
5 5 0 0
6 2 0 0
7 3 0 0
8 6 0 0
9 4 0 0
10 5 0 0
11 2 0 0
12 2 0 0
13 6 0 0
14 4 0 0
15 3 0 0
16 0 0 0
17 2 0 0
18 2 0 0
19 4 0 0
20 3 0 0
21 7 0 0
22 6 0 0
23 0 0 0
24 3 0 0
25 2 0 0
26 3 0 0
27 7 0 0
28 7 0 0
29 5 0 0
30 6 0 0
31 4 0 0
32 5 0 0
33 0 0 0
34 1 0 0
35 0 0 0
36 0 0 0
37 0 0 0
38 0 0 0
39 1 0 0
40 0 0 0
41 0 0 0
42 0 0 0
43 0 0 0
44 0 0 0
Cases (year-to-date) 112 0 0

Geographic distribution

Figure 2: Distribution of activeFootnote *, confirmed measles cases by health region.
fig2
Figure 2 - Text equivalent
Figure 2: Distribution of activeFootnote *, 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 0
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 0
Yukon 0
Northwest Territories 0
Nunavut 0
Footnote 6

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 4.

Return to footnote * referrer

Laboratory summary

Measles

In 2019, seventy-two (72) cases of measles have been genotyped and the genotypes were B3 (n=19) and D8 (n=53), both of which are circulating globally.

Figure 3: Distribution of measles genotypes detected in 2019 (n=72) by weekFootnote of rash onset.
figure 3
Footnote †

Epidemiological weeks for laboratory specimens submitted to the National Microbiology Laboratory are assigned and reported in accordance with WHO guidelines (WHO.WER.2012;9(87):73) with week 1 beginning on the first Monday of the year, which for 2019 is January 7. However, for the purposes of this report, the genotype data is presented in accordance with PAHO reporting weeks with week 1 of 2019 beginning on December 30, 2018.

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Figure 3 - Text equivalent
Figure 3: Distribution of measles genotypes detected in 2019 (n=72) by weekFootnote 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 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
5 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 3
6 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
7 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 3
8 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 6
9 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 4
10 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
11 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
12 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
13 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 6
14 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3
15 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 3
16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
18 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
19 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 3
20 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
21 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 5
22 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 5
23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3
25 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
26 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3
27 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
30 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
31 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
32 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4
33 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
34 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
35 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
36 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
37 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
38 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
39 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
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
Total 19 0 0 53 0 0 0 72
Footnote 5

Epidemiological weeks for laboratory specimens submitted to the National Microbiology Laboratory are assigned and reported in accordance with WHO guidelines (WHO.WER.2012;9(87):73) with week 1 beginning on the first Monday of the year, which for 2019 is January 7. However, for the purposes of this report, the genotype data is presented in accordance with PAHO reporting weeks with week 1 of 2019 beginning on December 30, 2018).

Return to footnote referrer

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 named strains), refer to Hiebert J and Severini A. Canada Communicable Disease Report. 2014; 40-12: 257- 260.

Footnotes

Footnote 1

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 report.

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Footnote 2

Only cases with rash onset up to the indicated end date are included in this report. Any additional cases will be described in future reports.

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Footnote 3

Epidemiological week of birth is used for congenital rubella syndrome cases.

Return to footnote 3 referrer

Footnote 4

Public Health Agency of Canada. Guidelines for the prevention and control of measles outbreaks in Canada. Canadian Communicable Disease Report. 2013. Vol. 39: Definitions: conclusion of an outbreak (p. 5).

Return to footnote 4 referrer

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