Measles surveillance in Canada: 2015

Measles has been eliminated in Canada since 1998. Every year, the Public Health Agency of Canada presents epidemiologic evidence to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to verify that measles elimination continues in Canada.

To describe measles activity in Canada for 2015 as updated evidence for continued measles elimination status.

Measles surveillance data were captured by the Canadian Measles and Rubella Surveillance System (CMRSS) and the Measles and Rubella Surveillance (MARS) pilot project and assessed for distribution by demographics and risk factors. Outbreak characteristics were summarized and genotypic and phylogenetic analyses were conducted and described. Surveillance data for 2015 were evaluated against PAHO's essential criteria for measles elimination status.

In 2015, the incidence of measles in Canada was 5.5 cases per 1,000,000 population, with 196 cases across four provinces. The majority of cases (87.2%, n=171) were not immunized and both age-specific incidence rates and case counts were highest among those aged 10 to 14 years (29.5 cases per 1,000,000 population, n=55). This was due in large part to a sizeable outbreak in a non-immunizing religious community. Overall, 10.7% (n=21) of cases were hospitalized. Genotype information was available for 100% of measles events (4/4 outbreaks and 6/6 sporadic cases). Canada met or partially met most of PAHO's criteria for verification of measles elimination.

Although importations and areas of low immunization coverage continue to challenge Canada's elimination status, surveillance data for 2015 provides strong evidence that measles elimination has been maintained.