Ottawa: Canada has officially lost its measles elimination status after the country experienced more than a year of continuous virus transmission, health authorities confirmed on Monday. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said the outbreak, which spread across several provinces and one territory, ended nearly three decades of Canada being considered free from endemic measles.

The loss of status also affects the wider Americas region, as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced that the entire continent can no longer be regarded as measles-free. The Americas had first eliminated measles in 2016, a milestone that has now been reversed due to rising outbreaks in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Health officials said Canada has recorded over 5,000 confirmed cases t

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