Toronto Public Health says it is investigating two confirmed travel-related cases of measles and is warning about possible exposure in the GTA earlier this month.

In one case, an infected person acquired measles while travelling in North America outside of Ontario and then flew to England and back, Dr. Vinita Dubey, an associate medical officer with Toronto Public Health, said in an email.

In the other case, Dubey said, a person acquired measles in Southeast Asia and returned home while incubating the disease. That person developed measles in Toronto and was not infectious while travelling, she said.

“These two cases are unrelated,” said Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Herveen Sachdeva. “They are separate-travel related cases and so we are not seeing any local transmission ... It is very, very rare to see any local transmission, because we have very good immunization coverage.”

According to a news release, Toronto Public Health is warning that the public may have been exposed on the following dates:

May 5:

Remely’s Restaurant, at 4830 Sheppard Ave. E. between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1, between 6 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

Air Canada Flight AC848, which departed Toronto at 8:40 p.m. and arrived in London Heathrow Airport at 8:35 a.m. on May 6

May 8:

The Toronto Zoo between 1:30 and 5 p.m.

Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1, between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Air Canada flight AC849, which departed London Heathrow at 2:10 p.m. and arrived at Pearson at 5 p.m.

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The risk of acquiring measles from any of these places is low, particularly in the large open-air environments like the airport, Sachdeva said.

Including the new incidents, there have been a total of five confirmed measles cases in Toronto this year, four of which came from travellers, she said.

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Anyone who may have been exposed should check their vaccination records and watch for symptoms, the health agency said, adding it has only followed up directly with those in closer contact to the infected adults, such as family members.

Those who are most at risk of infection are people who do not have the measles vaccine, infants under 1 year of age, pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system.

Toronto Public Health is asking any of these people who may have been exposed to call the health agency at 416-338-7600 to discuss followup recommendations.

Symptoms of the measles include cough or runny nose, a high fever, sore eyes or light-sensitivity and a red rash which can last four to seven days. Most people recover from measles in two weeks.

If you may have been exposed and begin experiencing symptoms, speak with your doctor as soon as possible and do not attend work or school, the health agency advises.

While most people are immune to the virus, either from vaccination or age, Sachdeva said there is a gap in immunization from adults born after the 1970s who may have received only one of two recommended doses of the vaccine. “We really recommend two doses, so this is a good reminder,” she said.

Several cities in North America are experiencing an outbreak of the disease spread in part by an antivaccination movement that argues the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine causes autism, a claim that has no scientific backing.

According to data obtained by the Star, vaccination rates among Ontario schoolchildren are below the 95-per-cent gold standard required to achieve herd immunity.

Ninety per cent of Toronto students who were 7 years old during the 2017-2018 school year are immunized for measles, Toronto Public Health said.

At a press conference on Monday, Toronto Mayor John Tory called the new cases “alarming” in light of the province’s decision to cut millions in public health spending.

“This is one of the jobs of public health. They educate people about the benefits of vaccination and the truth of vaccinations,” he said.

Correction - May 13, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version to correct that only one of the two new cases involved possible exposure on flights between Pearson airport and London’s Heathrow Airport. In the other case, the infected person was not infectious while travelling, according to Toronto Public Health.

Emma Sandri is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @emmarosesandri

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