Possible measles exposure at Coca-Cola Coliseum concert, warns Toronto Public Health
TPH says anyone who attended a concert at the downtown venue on April 1 may have been exposed to the virus
As Ontario deals with an ongoing measles outbreak, Toronto Public Health is warning of a new potential exposure at a downtown concert this month.
The department says a case was confirmed in someone who visited the city to attend a concert at Coca-Cola Coliseum on April 1, where Forrest Frank was performing.
Anyone who attended the event between approximately 5:30 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. may have been exposed to measles, as one attendee was later diagnosed with the virus, according to a Friday news release.
The health authority urges anyone who may have been exposed to check their vaccination records to ensure they're protected.
They should also monitor for symptoms until April 22.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, small spots with white centres inside the mouth, red eyes and a red rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body.
If symptoms develop, Toronto Public Health (TPH) asks people to contact their health-care provider immediately. TPH encourages people to call ahead before visiting a clinic or hospital so health workers can prepare and prevent the spread of the virus.
Anyone who is unsure if they've been vaccinated against measles should contact their health-care provider.
People born in 1970 or later should have had two doses of measles vaccine. Children are usually vaccinated at 12 months and again between four to six years of age.
The public health agency says people born before 1970 are assumed to have immunity through exposure to the measles virus itself. But anyone in this age group who isn't sure if they had measles should get one dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to ensure they are protected.
Ontario has now recorded more than 800 measles cases since an outbreak began in the fall, with 155 new cases reported over the last week.
With files from The Canadian Press