The City of New Westminster is warning parents and other pool-goers that they may have been exposed to the measles virus last weekend.
Someone with measles visited the outdoor pool in Moody Park on Sunday, Aug. 19, the city said in a statement posted online Friday.
Anyone who was at the pool between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. that day may have been exposed. Measles is spread when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.
The virus can survive in droplets in the air for hours.
Symptoms of the severe illness include fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, and generally appear between a week and two weeks after being exposed. Three to seven days later, those with measles will see a rash starting on the face and neck and spreading to the chest, arms and legs. The rash lasts at least three days, health officials say.
"You may also notice spots inside your mouth that look like small grains of sand on a red base," the city's statement said.
Those born before 1970 and have a history of measles infection are protected, as are those born after 1970 if they've had two doses of a measles-containing vaccine such as measles-mumps-rubella.
Anyone who develops symptoms is advised to stay home and keep away from others who aren't protected. They should contact public health officials, a health care provider or 811.
When visiting a clinic or doctor's office, the public is advised to call ahead to report measles is suspected. Patients will be seen quickly, and in a way that avoids infecting others.
