A vial of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine sits ready at the Lubbock Health Department in Texas, Feb. 26, 2025. (Mary Conlon / AP Photo)
Ontario’s measles outbreak is tightening its hold, with 102 new cases in the past week alone, pushing the total to 572 confirmed and suspected infections since October. Public Health Ontario reports 42 people are hospitalized—two in intensive care—as the virus tears through the province.
Southwestern and Grand Erie remain the epicenter, but the outbreak’s tentacles now reach Waterloo and Lambton. Chatham-Kent’s cases nearly doubled to 39 in a week, while Huron Perth counts 55 sick. Beyond Ontario, Alberta tracks 18 cases—mostly kids—and Quebec holds steady at 40.
Measles, a global heavyweight in contagiousness, lingers in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours, per the World Health Organization. It starts with fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, then unleashes a blotchy rash from face to limbs. For some, it’s a gateway to pneumonia, brain inflammation, or death.
As numbers climb, Ontario’s fight against this preventable scourge intensifies—but the virus isn’t backing down.