Toronto public health investigating measles case in infant who travelled abroad

TORONTO – Public health officials in Toronto say people who travelled on two Saudia Airlines flights in late April, as well as those who attended the city’s Humber River Hospital last week may have been exposed to measles.

They say a lab-confirmed confirmed case of measles in an infant who recently travelled abroad is being investigated.

People may have been exposed on Saudia Airlines flight SV0759 that left Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India, at 8 p.m. on April 29 and arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at 11:05 p.m.

The child also was on Saudia Airlines flight SV0061 that left Jeddah at 3:40 a.m. on April 30 and arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport at 9:45 a.m.

Officials say exposure also was possible on May 4 at the pediatric outpatient services department at the Humber River Hospital between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Measles is a highly contagious disease and anyone who has not had two doses of a measles vaccine or who has not had measles in the past is at risk of infection.

Infants under one year of age, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems can get extremely ill with measles.