Manitoba issues blanket measles warning for 5 southern RMs, says fans were exposed at Jets game
The province is warning of measles exposure at a recent Winnipeg Jets game, and says any public location in several southern rural municipalities should now be considered an exposure site as case counts climb in the province.Manitoba saw 44 cases confirmed in the first week of February alone, surpassing the total infections reported in eight of the last 12 months. Only May (72 cases), July (49), December (48) and January 2026 (75) saw higher totals. The average number of monthly cases reported from February to December 2025 was just under 29, according to provincial data.There have now been 438 confirmed and 39 probable measles cases in the province since February 2025, according the latest Manitoba Health data, which covers the period up to Feb. 7 and was posted on Friday.Another case of measles was also confirmed for January in the latest update, bringing the total infections for that month to 75.Friday's data does not include the 12 confirmed measles infections detected on Feb. 9 that were announced by Dr. Brent Roussin, the province's chief public health officer, on Thursday. Large events taking place in the province over the next few months should be considered potential measles exposure sites, the province said in its latest measles bulletin, released on Thursday. Children under 12 months old, pregnant people who are not immunized and those with a weakened immune system should consider the potential for being exposed to the disease when deciding whether to attend these gatherings, the province says.The province also says that due to widespread community transmission, people in the rural municipalities of Stanley, Rhineland, Thompson, Dufferin and Roland should consider themselves potentially exposed at any public location visited in those areas. Jets game exposureAmong the latest exposure sites reported by the province is a Winnipeg Jets game.The province is reporting an exposure in the 300-level seating and concourse area of Winnipeg's Canada Life Centre on Feb. 4, from 6 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.The downtown arena was hosting an NHL game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Montreal Canadiens that night.Anyone who may have been exposed is advised to monitor for symptoms until Feb. 26.A spokesperson for Jets owner True North Sports and Entertainment, which also owns and operates the arena, said the company has been in communication with Manitoba Public Health and is "relying on their expertise and protocols to provide the necessary public guidance."During his Thursday news conference, Roussin also said there have been over 30 infections related to the measles exposure at last month's Ag Days farm show in Brandon. WATCH | Measles outbreak traced back to Ag Days:Doctors and daycare operators are bracing for more cases of the measles in Brandon. Province-wide, the number of measles cases is the highest it's been in decades, with more than 30 new cases related to Ag Days. And now, Manitoba's top doctor has approved vaccines for infants. About 35,000 people attended the annual event at the southwestern Manitoba city's Keystone Centre, between Jan. 20 and 22. Those who visited hotels, restaurants and shops in the city during the three-day event were also possibly exposed to the virus, according to Manitoba public health. Change to measles notificationsThe province has also made a change to how it reports possible measles exposures.Until this week, the province has released bulletins with information on known measles exposure sites. But on Thursday, the province said going forward, it will only release bulletins in cases where the exposure happened in the past six days, and people exposed may benefit from preventative treatment.Other exposure sites reported by the province this week include the emergency department at the Boundary Trails Health Centre, between Winkler and Morden, on Feb. 7 from 1:30 to 5:50 p.m.The King’s School in West St. Paul is also on the latest exposure site list. Those who were at the school on Feb. 3 from 3:45 to 6:15 p.m. are asked to monitor for symptoms until Feb. 25. People who were on board WestJet flight WS2451 travelling from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Winnipeg on Feb. 4 from 4:58 to 10:23 p.m. are also asked to monitor for symptoms until Feb. 26.Those who were at Winnipeg's Richardson airport from 10:25 p.m. on Feb. 4 to 12:45 a.m. on Feb. 5, should monitor for measles symptoms.Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the province is working to ensure people are getting measles information from reliable sources. "We have an issue with measles that can be helped with vaccination," Kinew told reporters during an unrelated news conference on Friday."You talk to physicians and they say vaccination is one of the things they say will save lives. Maybe a little bit more time listening to … physicians, a little bit less time on some of the social media platforms will help all of us."In Manitoba, a two-dose vaccine program for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) is routinely provided for children at least one year old, and again between ages four and six. If a child is exposed to measles, a second dose can be given.Manitoba expanded eligibility for vaccines to infants as young as six months old living in the Southern Health region and the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority area in May. Because of the exposures at Ag Days and the continuing transmission rates through southern Manitoba, the province is expanding measles vaccine eligibility children six to 12 months in the Prairie Mountain health region. The vast majority of cases in Manitoba — 409, or roughly 85 per cent — have been in people who are not immunized against the illness, while 23 cases involved people whose vaccination status is unknown, provincial data says.A total of 18 cases were in people who had one vaccination dose against measles. There were 27 cases that involved people with two or more doses.People born before 1970 are generally considered immune to measles due to past exposure, but those born in 1970 or later require vaccination.Since the start of the outbreak, 24 people have been hospitalized due to measles, including 17 children under the age of 10, according to public health data.The province said in its Friday update some hospitalizations have involved patients with difficulty breathing, lung infections and dehydration. No deaths connected to measles have been reported so far during Manitoba's outbreak, but two people have required admission to intensive care. Measles is a highly contagious disease transmitted by droplets that form in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. Even a few minutes in the same space as a sick person can put you at risk, as the virus can linger in the air for two hours, public health said.
