Metro Vancouver residents and health care professionals are on alert after authorities confirmed a measles outbreak in the region.
The BC Centre for Disease Control says 10 laboratory-confirmed measles cases and four suspected cases have been identified in the past two weeks.
Eight of the 14 cases are associated with a single household of unvaccinated members, and none of the infected received both of the required doses of measles vaccine.
"Often times people go unimmunized for philosophical reasons," centre spokeswoman Ritinder Harry said. "It's an individual's choice."
The risk to the general population is low, Harry said, because most children receive both doses of measles vaccine before their second birthday.
But residents are still advised to be on the lookout for symptoms of the highly-contagious disease – and to confirm they have received both shots.
"Check your records," Harry said. "If you think you have been infected, see a health care professional immediately."
The agency has identified two separate strains of the virus – one believed to have been brought in by out-of-country visitors during February or early March, the other brought home by a British Columbian man returning from India.
The illness begins with a fever, runny nose and cough. Days later, a rash appears around the face, which then spreads to the chest and limbs. The eyes may also be red and sensitive to light.
Measles can cause serious health problems, Harry said. One in every 1,000 infected suffers an inflammation of the brain, which can lead to convulsions, deafness or permanent mental disability. One in every 3,000 cases can result in death.
More information on measles is available at the BC Centre for Disease Control website.
