Measles case confirmed in Kingston area

The South East Health Unit (SEHU) says it's investigating a confirmed case of measles in the Kingston, Ont., area.

According to the health unit, people may have been exposed on four separate occasions:

• At Duncan McArthur Hall at Queen's University on March 29 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
• At the hall on March 30 from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.
• On board a Megabus bus on March 31 that departed Kingston at 4:35 p.m. and arrived at the Scarborough Library stop in Toronto at 9:15 p.m.
• At the Hotel Dieu Hospital's urgent care centre on April 3 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Anyone who may have been exposed should check their records to ensure they're vaccinated and watch for potential symptoms for 21 days, the health unit said.

Anyone who develops symptoms should stay home and not go to work, school or daycare, the health unit said. 

The province is in the midst of a measles outbreak, with Public Health Ontario reporting 89 new cases last Thursday. That brought the total of confirmed and probable cases in Ontario this year to 655.

• How Ottawa has (so far) avoided a measles outbreak

The majority of cases of the highly contagious illness have been confirmed in people who are not vaccinated, health officials have said.

Symptoms include fever, a red blotchy rash, red watery eyes and cough. The illness can be serious, and three of the people in Ontario who've fallen ill have ended up in intensive care. 

The SEHU has also been dealing with a measles outbreak in Hastings County. According to the health unit's most recent count, there have been 43 confirmed cases in the county — all in unvaccinated individuals.