Toronto Public Health warns of possible measles exposure at Pearson Airport

Toronto Public Health (TPH) says travellers may have been exposed to measles on Wednesday if they were on a Turkish Airlines flight or if they passed through Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport.

The public health unit says it is investigating a case of measles involving a person on Turkish Airlines Flight TK17 from Istanbul to Toronto that arrived at 5:30 p.m. at Terminal 1.

TPH said it urges anyone who thinks they may have exposed to the virus to check their vaccination records and monitor for symptoms until Feb. 12.

People who have not received two doses of the measles vaccine or have not had measles before are at risk of infection.

Symptoms can include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, a red rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body and small blue-white spots on the inside of the mouth and throat. 

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can stay in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours, TPH said. 

People can become infected if they breathe contaminated air or touch an infected surface, then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. 

People born in 1970 or later require two doses of the measles vaccine for the best protection if they have not had the virus. Anyone born before 1970 may have had a measles infection, as the virus was common during that time.

Passenger says airlines should issue exposure warnings

A passenger on Turkish Airlines Flight TK17 says airlines should issue their own warnings when passengers are exposed to health risks. 

Seyed Mohammad Emaminejad, who lives in Istanbul, flew to Toronto on Wednesday to visit friends. On Saturday morning, he received several phone calls from a friend in Toronto who had seen news reports about the possible exposure on his flight. 

Emaminejad said he didn't receive any notifications from Turkish Airlines. By the time he learned he may have been exposed to measles, he had already visited several friends, he said. He has since informed them about the potential risk. 

He said he and his friends are vaccinated against measles, but the airline should have reached out. 

"We are not in the Canadian community and for sure we don't follow up any news in Canadian society," Emaminejad said. 

"Airlines know the ways to find the customer, to [notify] them," he said. 

Had he known about the potential exposure, Emaminejad said he would have avoided visiting his friends until he knew he had not contracted the disease.

Emaminejad visited a Toronto doctor for a check up and is currently monitoring for symptoms. He is also masking if he is around people who haven't been vaccinated, he said. 

CBC Toronto has reached out to Turkish Airlines for comment. 

TPH said it works with Public Health Ontario and the Public Health Agency of Canada to respond to possible exposures of communicable diseases. 

Public Health Ontario notifies airlines about exposures on flights and coordinates with them to provide public health guidance for staff and crew, TPH spokesperson Dane Griffiths said in an email. 

"Airlines are not usually required to notify passengers but are expected to cooperate with public health investigations by providing timely and accurate information," he said.