INUVIK
The Inuvik Regional Hospital and health care providers in the region are trained and prepared for a potential outbreak of measles if it were to make it to the town, the territory's chief medical officer said.

The territory's chief medical officer said hospitals across the territory are prepared to handle a potential outbreak of measles if it were to find its way North. Dr. Andre Corriveau said hospital staff are being kept in the loop about new cases in southern Canada and the United States and what symptoms to look for in patients. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

Dr. Andre Corriveau told Inuvik Drum that while the 90 per cent of all residents have up-to-date immunization records, a number of residents, particularly infants too young to get the shot and adults who may not have got the second booster for measles, are at risk if the virus were to show up here.

"If you're not immunized you can easily be exposed," he said, adding what makes the virus worse than others is its ability to be contracted by air, unlike most viruses which require close contact with someone who is infected.

Southern Ontario and parts of the United States have been plagued by a recent outbreak of the once-eradicated virus, with dozens of cases reported. Concern in the medical community currently is with one person who was found to have the virus who had attended a large church event with more than 1,000 other youth in the Toronto area.

"Measles is very infectious and just going through an area where someone is clinical can be bad," he said.

Corriveau said there may be some adults who haven't been properly immunized. Prior to 2001, most people were given only one shot and when measles started to make a comeback and boosters were required, some people may have missed that second shot.

"Even though we've done a catch-up program, some people might have missed the booster," he said. "So there is a period of time where some people were too young to have had the measles but old enough to have only received the one dose and somehow missed the booster."

While the virus is currently making headlines and stirring controversy over the anti-vaccine movement and the question of community health over individuals' choice not to vaccinate, Corriveau said the NWT, in some ways, has protection because of its high immunization rates.

However, despite the last case of reported measles in the territory being in 1991, Corriveau said it could only be a matter of time.

"Anyone who isn't immunized who travel, they can be exposed to measles and can bring it back," said Corriveau. "People need to check their immunization records, especially when they travel. It's made a big comeback in Europe and it's still prevalent in Africa and Asia and if you aren't immunized they

would get exposed and bring it back."

One case of measles would force the Department of Health and Social Services to consider it an outbreak - any more cases than zero with a virus that hasn't been around for two decades is cause for concern, he said.

"We would be very vigilant at that point," he said. "We'd isolate them and make sure anyone around them who maybe weren't immunized, we'd have to isolate them too. We have an outbreak response plan and take action if we need to use it."

Staff are trained to notice the symptoms but that can be difficult because symptoms tend to mimic those of the common cold or flu - except for the rash. Corriveau said manuals are kept in clinics across the territory and frontline staff are keep up to speed on outbreaks across the country and world.

"We haven't seen measles in a long time. Many of our practitioners might not know exactly what to look for. We'd then discuss testing plans and what we would do when the results come back," he said. "It's important that frontline staff don't dismiss any potential symptoms."