Manitoba Measles Alert: New Cases and Confirmed Exposure Sites

Manitoba has recorded 429 confirmed and 63 probable cases of measles so far in 2026, surpassing the total number of cases seen throughout all of 2025. The province is currently experiencing a significant surge in the highly contagious disease, with case numbers in the first few months of 2026 exceeding the 319 confirmed and 29 probable cases reported last year.

According to data released by the province on April 10, 2026, Manitoba saw a particular increase in infections during the transition from March to April. Between March 29 and April 4, 2026, the province recorded 36 new confirmed measles cases and two new probable cases.

For the month of March 2026, the province reported 156 confirmed and 24 probable cases. In the first four days of April 2026, there were an additional 17 confirmed cases and one probable case.

Hospitalizations and Patient Demographics

The outbreak has led to 42 hospitalizations, including four individuals who required admission to intensive care. Among those hospitalized, 23 are children under the age of 10.

Public health data indicates a strong link between vaccination status and severe outcomes. Of the 42 people hospitalized, 39 were either unimmunized or had an unknown measles vaccination history. As of April 10, 2026, the province has recorded no deaths related to measles.

Confirmed Exposure Sites

Manitoba Health is conducting ongoing investigations to identify locations where the public may have been exposed to the virus. The province has identified five exposure sites in Winnipeg and several other locations across the region.

Travelers on specific flights from Winnipeg Richardson International Airport have been identified as potentially exposed:

• WestJet flight WS968 to Toronto Pearson International Airport on March 28, 2026, departing at 11:52 a.m. CDT.
• WestJet flight WJA382/WS382 to Toronto Pearson International Airport on March 16, 2026, departing at 8:47 p.m. CDT and arriving March 17, 2026.
• Air Canada flight AC 297 to Vancouver International Airport on March 19, 2026, departing at 6:20 p.m. CDT.

In southern Manitoba, an exposure occurred in Altona at the Regional Connections Immigrant Services, Unit B 58 2nd Street NE, on March 19, 2026, between 9:00 a.m. And 2:00 p.m.

Public Health Guidance on Transmission

Health officials have noted that the measles virus is highly persistent in the environment. The virus can remain active in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has left a space.

Because of this persistence, the monitoring windows for those potentially exposed often extend two hours beyond the time the infected individual was present. For example, individuals on WestJet flight WS968 from March 28, 2026, are advised to monitor for symptoms until April 19, 2026.