The number of measles cases in Canada this year is nearly triple that of the United States, according to a July 28 weekly monitoring report from the Canadian government.
As of July 19, confirmed measles cases reported in Canada had reached 3,878, according to the report. This is 2.9 times the 1,333 confirmed cases reported in the United States as of July 29, according to a July 30 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Canada, measles infections, both confirmed and probable, have been reported from 10 jurisdictions—Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.
Ontario has the highest number of cases, with 2,301 confirmed and probable infections. Alberta has had 1,450 cases, Manitoba 167, and British Columbia 140.
The current measles outbreak in Canada began in New Brunswick in October last year and has since continued to spread across several provinces, the government report said.
“Measles has been eliminated in Canada since 1998, and therefore endemic transmission no longer takes place in the country. However, cases continue to occur sporadically, usually due to importation from regions where measles is circulating,” it said.
According to World Health Organization data published in July, Canada ranked ninth in the list of nations that reported measles cases over the previous six months.
Ahead of Canada were Yemen, Pakistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Romania, and Nigeria.
Some of these nations—Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and Nigeria—ranked among the top 10 new immigrant nationalities that arrived in Canada last year, according to data from Statista.
The 3,878 confirmed measles infections in Canada are a very high number compared to past years.
“From 1998 to 2024, there were an average of 91 measles cases reported in Canada annually, with between 0 and 752 cases reported each year,” according to the report.
Hellbound and Down 