By Canadian Press

B.C. health authorities confirm measles cases with local spread

Jun 24, 2025 | 2:00 PM

British Columbia’s Fraser Health authority says measles infections have been confirmed in three Chilliwack residents since Friday and the cases appear to have been acquired locally.

A statement from Fraser Health says the three had no reported travel history and it is investigating to determine the source of infection.

The cases are in people who have not been vaccinated against measles.

The latest infections come after the Interior Health authority announced Tuesday that it also had a confirmed case of measles in a person in Kamloops.

A bulletin from Northern Health earlier this month also said it had identified “multiple lab-confirmed cases” of measles in the community of Wonowon, located about 90 kilometres northwest of Fort St. John.

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The June 13 statement from Northern Health says that while the initial case in that region appears to have been acquired through travel, medical officers believe the infection had since begun circulating in the community.

The Fraser and Interior authorities also released a series of locations and times in Chilliwack and Kamloops where they say members of the public may have been exposed to measles. The locations range from a Denny’s restaurant and a Shoppers Drug Mart in Kamloops to a Walmart and Mark’s in Chilliwack.

Measles is a highly infectious disease with airborne transmission, and the health authorities say people who have never had the infection or haven’t received two doses of vaccine are at higher risk of falling ill.

They say symptoms can develop between seven and 21 days after exposure and include fever, dry cough, runny nose, and red eyes, followed by a rash that starts on the face and spreads rapidly down to the rest of the body.

Measles can cause complications like pneumonia and swelling of the brain and may lead to death, the health authorities say.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2025.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press