The Northwest Health Unit (NWHU) is declaring victory after recording zero cases of the dangerous virus in the Rainy River District during a year-long outbreak that saw more than 2,000 cases across the province.
“Thanks to the vigilance of our community members and consistent efforts of community partners and health care providers, we made it through the Ontario outbreak without any cases,” the health unit said in a press release.
“Every action taken, including checking destination risk when traveling, getting vaccinated, and watching for symptoms, kept our communities safe.”
The outbreak, which began in October 2024, saw 2,375 cases emerge in Ontario across 26 public health units, 75 per cent of those occurring in infants, children, and adolescents. About 96 per cent of those were unvaccinated, according to Ontario’s Ministry of Health.
The NWHU has a high vaccination coverage rate for measles and a lower population density, which may have helped it resist an incursion of the disease, said Sandra Krikke, Manager of Infectious Diseases for the health unit.
“Prior to the Ontario outbreak, cases in the province have typically been associated with travel,” Krikke told the Times. “It is difficult to know for certain, but less density and large crowds, less international travel, also can play a role in reducing exposure to measles.”
Ontario began to see more cases as measles activity increased globally in 2024, Krikke said. The closest the disease came to the NWHU was a single case in Thunder Bay District Health Unit, which was deemed to be unconnected to the Ontario outbreak.
Manitoba also had confirmed measles cases in 2025, which included mostly Winnipeg and the Southern Manitoba area.
A total of 5,060 cases were reported in Canada during the outbreak – 4,696 confirmed and 364 probable.
While Rainy River may have avoided logging any cases this time, the health unit stressed that it remains “a serious and highly contagious disease” that is “still a concern in other parts of the country and across the globe.”
Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, urged Ontarians to keep themselves and their families up to date with measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations.
“Two doses of the MMR vaccine offer nearly 100 per cent protection and have been safely
used for decades,” Moore said in a statement.
“If you are unsure of your vaccination status or that of your child, please contact your health care provider or local public health unit. Vaccination remains our best defence against measles and is essential to protecting our communities.”
Canada had declared measles eliminated in 1998; however, it may lose that status due to sustained transmission during the outbreak of more than 12 months.
