Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Published : November 12, 2025 5:03 PM IST
Canada has finally lost its measles 'elimination' status after nearly 30 years, which by default has caused the overall American region to lose its status as well.
The country's public health agency issued a statement on Monday regarding the ongoing public health crisis. It stated that Canada was experiencing a "large, multi-juridictional outbreak of measles" that began in October 2024.
According to previous cases recorded by the Canadian public health agency, over the past years the country saw active cases of measles in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories.
Altogether, the country saw 5,000 positive cases of the highly contagious viral respiratory disease, including deaths of two premature babies. The agency said, "Canada can re-establish its measles elimination status once transmission of the measles strain associated with the current outbreak is interrupted for at least 12 months."
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that can pose serious health risks if left untreated. The virus is typically transmitted through respiratory droplets and remains viable on surface or in the air for several hours. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) measles is highly infectious and even one positive case can infect 9 out of 10 people.
"Although declared eliminated in the United States (US) in 2000 and the Americas in 2016, measles outbreaks persist due to international travel and transmission among unvaccinated populations," the National Institute of Health (NIH) explains. "The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 935 confirmed cases in the US in the first 4 months of 2025 alone, indicating a resurgence linked to gaps in vaccination coverage and global disease importation."
Symptoms of measles typically appear between 7 to 14 days after a person comes in contact with the virus. Some of the common signs include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes and rash.
The US health agency states that the best way to prevent measles is by getting measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The CDC states, "MMR is safe and effective. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective."
