Canada poised to lose measles elimination status, a possible harbinger of more disease outbreaks

By Anna Mehler Paperny

TORONTO (Reuters) -Canada is poised to lose its measles elimination status after nearly three decades, and public health experts fear outbreaks of other preventable diseases as vaccination rates fall.

Canada has recorded more than 5,000 measles cases in nine provinces and one territory since the current outbreak started in Ontario and New Brunswick a year ago. More are likely going undetected, health experts told Reuters.

Two premature babies have died this year after being infected with measles, one in Ontario and one in Alberta. The virus has been especially prevalent in some religious-minority communities, including Mennonites, which often have lower vaccination rates.

Health experts say the spread of an opportunistic virus enabled by slipping vaccination rate