Manitoba has 33 more confirmed cases of measles and six more probable ones since numbers were last reported a week ago.

There have been 248 confirmed cases and 28 probable cases in two months this year, says the latest data from the province, released Friday. The data is current to Feb. 28.

By comparison, there were 319 confirmed and 29 probable cases in all of 2025.

The numbers show 31 confirmed cases last week and two more confirmed in January, raising that month’s total to 78 from 76.

Last week’s 31 cases make the second highest weekly total since the first cases in February 2025 — surpassed only by the previous week’s 57 cases.

A total of 31 people have been hospitalized in Manitoba because of measles, including three admitted to intensive care, since February 2025.

The highly contagious respiratory virus causes a severe, full-body red rash, high fever, cough and watery eyes.

Of the 31 people hospitalized, 30 were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, and 19 were younger than 10.

A total of 527 cases — 83.4 per cent of all the positive cases — involved people with no doses of the measles vaccine, the provincial data says.

Vaccination status was unknown for five per cent of the cases.

Six per cent had a single dose and another six per cent had two or more doses.

“It’s scary. I encourage everyone to listen to Dr. Brent Roussin and get vaccinated against measles,” Premier Wab Kinew said, referring to Manitoba’s chief public health officer.

Kinew encourages those who question vaccination to talk to their doctors.

“Something happened in our society. I don’t know if it’s TikTok or YouTube or other conversations in the community, but we’ve really seen a change in the Southern Health region,” he said.

“Fifteen years ago it had one of the highest vaccination rates in Manitoba. Now it’s the lowest. Something happened.”

Manitoba remains the measles hot spot in the country, says federal government health data, which has yet to be updated with the latest cases.

This week, the province warned of potential measles exposures at the following locations:

• Bethesda Regional Health Centre emergency department waiting room, Steinbach, on Feb. 27, from 2:20 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.
• Morden Adult Education Centre, on Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Homestead Co-op, 2275 Saskatchewan Ave. W., Portage la Prairie, on Feb. 28, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Eric Coy Arena, Winnipeg, on Feb. 28, from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., and March 1, from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Joy Fountain Church, Winnipeg, on March 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• J.H. Bruns Collegiate, Winnipeg, on March 2, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
• Neepawa Health Centre emergency department waiting area, on Feb. 28, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• The Apartments at the Gardens on Tenth common area, Altona, on March 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Altona Sommerfeld Mennonite Church, on March 1, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Public health urges anyone who was at any of those locations during those times to check their immunization records and ensure they are up to date with the measles vaccine.

Recent exposure sites are updated on the province’s website.

There is no cure for measles. Treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms.

The initial symptoms include fever, malaise, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis, also called pink eye. Patients usually get white spots on the inside of the mouth about two or three days later, and then a rash that can be painful.

People with confirmed cases are infectious from four days before the rash to four days after it appears.

The disease spreads through droplets that form in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, and the virus can linger in the air for two hours.