Durham Region Public Health is warning that residents could have been exposed to measles in the region and at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
In a news release Thursday, the public health department said it had confirmed its first case of measles in the region, in an adult who was travelling and is now recovering at home.
People who were travelling on Flight RJ271 on Royal Jordanian Airlines, which departed from Jordan on March 28 and landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport the same day at 5:24 p.m., could have been exposed to the virus, according to the release.
People who were at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Terminal 3 on March 28, between 5:24 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. may have also been exposed, the release said.
“Currently, the Health Department is not aware of any additional exposure locations in Durham Region,” it said.
Anyone with a weakened immune system, including infants and pregnant women, are at risk of complications, the public health unit said.
Durham Region Public Health is urging residents to check their vaccination records to ensure protection from measles. People born in 1970 or later should have had two doses of the measles vaccine. Children are usually vaccinated at 12 months and again between four to six years of age. Measles vaccination is free in Ontario.
The public health unit is advising anyone who is concerned they may have been exposed to measles to monitor for symptoms, which can develop between seven and 21 days after exposure.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, small spots with white centres inside the mouth, sore eyes, sensitivity to light and a red blotchy rash.
Anyone unsure if they’ve been vaccinated against measles should contact their health-care provider by phone or email, Durham Region Public Health advises.
It is also advising those who experience measles symptoms to not go to work or school. Those people should also call ahead before going to see a health-care provider so that the clinic can take precautions against spreading the virus.