As measles cases rise, Montreal public health optimistic outbreak can be brought under control – GLOBAL

March 20, 2024

Despite a rising number of measles cases in and around Montreal, one of the doctors leading the public health response to the outbreak says he’s optimistic the virus can be brought under control.

Health workers in the city are aware that measles is spreading and are looking for new cases of the highly transmissible disease, said Dr. Paul Le Guerrier, the medical officer responsible for immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases at Montreal’s public health department.

“I think the medical profession is now very much aware,” he said in an interview Wednesday, adding that people who may be infected are being tested quickly and no longer spending long periods in hospital and clinic waiting rooms where they can infect others.

Quebec’s Health Department reported on Wednesday there were 29 measles cases across the province, up from 17 on March 11, with most of them in or around Montreal.

Le Guerrier said the public health department has a team working to find people who may have been exposed.

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/10373462/montreal-public-health-measles-optimism/