B.C. health officials confirm another travel-related measles case in Lower Mainland

British Columbia health officials say another travel-related measles infection has been confirmed in the Lower Mainland, in a resident who visited Southeast Asia.

Fraser Health says in a statement that the case is unrelated to an infection last month involving a resident of the Vancouver Coastal Health region who was also infected after a trip to Southeast Asia.

It says the new case involves a Fraser Health resident, and health officials are directly following up with people known to have been exposed to the virus.

The statement says members of the public might have been exposed to measles if they were in the Royal Columbian Hospital emergency department from 2:30 p.m. on Monday to 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Measles is a highly infectious disease transmitted by airborne spread, but the statement says most people in Canada are immune due to immunization or previous natural infection.

Symptoms include fever, dry cough, runny nose, and red eyes, which may develop up to three weeks after being exposed.

Public Health Agency of Canada says there has been a "sharp rise" in measles cases across the globe, and the same trend continues in Canada, with 227 cases recorded so far this year, mostly in New Brunswick, Ontario, Québec and Manitoba.