Those looking to escape the heat by cooling off at the Moody Park Pool in New Westminster recently, may have been exposed to measles.
That’s the word from officials with New Westminster Parks and Recreation.
In a statement online, officials said they were notified of an individual with measles visited the Moody Park Outdoor Pool on August 19, 2018.
“If you, or someone you know, were at the pool between 1:30 pm and 4:30 pm on August 19, 2018 you may have been exposed to a case of the measles,” the advisory said.
Measles is a severe illness caused by the measles virus, which spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus can survive in small droplets in the air for several hours and the airborne spread of measles virus makes the disease very contagious.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and red and inflamed eyes (often sensitive to light), typically starting seven to 14 days after exposure. These are followed 3-7 days later by a rash, which starts first on the face and neck, and spreads to the chest, arms and legs, and lasts at least 3 days. You may also notice spots inside your mouth that look like small grains of sand on a red base.
It’s the second case of measles being reported in the Lower Mainland this month, after a case was reported at Vancouver International Airport.
In that case, the infected individual was on the following flights:
- July 30: Air Canada flight 0004 departing from Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT) at 4:05 pm and arriving at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) at 9:25 am The passenger with measles was at YVR prior to boarding the next flight
- July 30: Air Canada Jazz flight 8125 departing Vancouver International Airport (YVR) at 1:50 pm and arriving at Portland International Airport (PDX) at 2:47 pm
- Aug 6: Alaska Airlines flight 2536 departing Portland International Airport (PDX) at 9:45 am and arriving at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) at 10:55 am
The infected traveller then boarded a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship from Vancouver on August 6 at approximately 4 pm.
More information on the virus is available on the BCCDC website.
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