Toronto infant hospitalized with confirmed measles case, public health agency says

An infant in Toronto has been hospitalized with a case of measles linked to travel, the city's public health agency says.

Toronto Public Health confirmed the case in a news release on Friday, adding the virus is highly contagious and can spread through the air and close contact.

Officials are following up with people who may have been exposed to the virus, the agency says.

Symptoms include red rash, fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and fatigue. They may start around 10 days after exposure but can appear anywhere from seven to 21 days later.

News of the Toronto case follows a case in Peel Region. On Tuesday, Peel Public Health confirmed a case of measles in a child with a recent history of travel outside Canada.

On Feb. 3, The World Health Organization said the measles outbreaks in Europe accelerated in the recent months and it's a "question of time" before outbreaks happen in Canada.

"Measles is spreading around the world and so we will absolutely see more measles in Toronto as a result," said Dr. Vinita Dubey, associate medical officer at Toronto Public Health.

She is advising residents to get vaccinated against measles before travelling. Dubey said two doses of vaccines is considered "up-to-date."

"Usually we see a few cases through the spring. The question is how many more cases are we going to get and that's what's going to determine how unusual this may be," she said. "We really want to be able to prevent as many cases as we can."

Toronto Public Health says if anyone is experiencing symptoms, they should contact their health provider.