Measles ‘inevitable’ in Ottawa, expert warns as Ontario outbreak spreads

Published by: Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 26, 2025
By Elizabeth Payne

Ottawa Public Health has begun monitoring wastewater for evidence of measles in the city as the highly infectious disease continues to surge throughout Ontario.

That makes Ottawa one of the only communities in the province and across Canada using wastewater as a possible early warning signal for measles. Ottawa Public Health says the tool is promising for detecting measles, but the research is limited and “many unknowns remain”.

There have been no cases in Ottawa so far this year but Dr. Gregory Rose, who is director of infection prevention and control at Queensway Carleton Hospital, warns that it is only a matter of time.

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wastewater monitoring

Amid Canada’s largest measles outbreak in more than a decade, experts say this COVID-era tool could help

Published March 26, 2025

Published by: CBC News
Published on: March 26, 2025
By Jennifer La Grassa

As Canada deals with its largest measles outbreak in more than a decade, health experts say a COVID-era tool could help tame the spread.

Wastewater surveillance, which involves testing sewage samples for viral pathogens, became essential during the pandemic. The data helped overwhelmed health officials map out COVID-19’s path and better predict the trajectory of cases.

At the time, it was praised as a critical public health tool that could serve as a warning system to keep Canadians safe from future harmful infections. And as the current measles outbreak surpasses 500 cases in Canada, experts say this is the moment where leaning into regional wastewater surveillance would be most helpful.

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Ontario

Ontario dropped wastewater testing early, with no plan for feds to step in: documents

Published September 1, 2024

Published by: Ottawa Citizen
Published on: September 1, 2024
By Elizabeth Payne

The Ontario government abruptly ended its wastewater surveillance program earlier than planned this summer, despite having funding in place until the end of September and being warned that the move could leave gaps in crucial information for public health, internal documents indicate.

The government pulled the plug at the end of July on the globally praised program that, at its peak, covered about 75 per cent of the province.

The program, overseen by the Ministry of the Environment, provided an early warning signal to health officials about the spread of COVID-19, influenza, RSV and other infectious diseases, based on wastewater testing.

Documents obtained through access to information by the Ottawa Citizen indicate that the province’s hasty decision last spring to end the program came before Ontario’s Ministry of Health had even begun negotiations with the federal government about taking over wastewater surveillance.

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Ontario

COVID-19 outbreak declared at WRH

Published December 20, 2023

Published by: CTV News
Published on: December 20, 2023
By Melanie Kentner

Windsor Regional Hospital has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at its Ouellette Campus.

The outbreak was declared on its 8 West unit on Dec. 20, with a total of three patients affected.

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Ontario: Keep masks in healthcare!

Line drawing of an N95 respirator, accompanied by the text: Keep masks in healthcare #CovidIsNotOver

take action

Ontario: Keep masks in healthcare!

Published November 6, 2023

📣 Let hospital CEOs and MPPs know you want universal masking with respirators in Ontario hospitals

✉️ Send letters to voice your support for universal masking with respirators in hospitals. You can use your own email software to send the letters.

Why take action? SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne, level 3 pathogen. We need universal masking with respirators to prevent COVID-induced health issues, including long COVID, cognitive issues, and cardiovascular diseases.

Please take a moment to voice your support for universal masking with respirators in Ontario hospitals!

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Tag: Windsor