Passengers on this Toronto flight could have been exposed to measles

Public health officials are warning of possible measles exposures in the Greater Toronto Area after a flight at Pearson Airport may have been exposed to the virus, while multiple cases have been confirmed in Toronto and York Region.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) says it's investigating the city's first confirmed measles case of the year, which may be linked to travel.

Individuals who were at Toronto Pearson International Airport's Terminal 1 Arrivals on Feb. 22 between about 1:40 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. may have been exposed to the virus, according to a news release.

Passengers on two Avianca flights on Feb. 22 — Flight AV324 from San Salvador to Toronto and Flight AV579 from Guatemala City to San Salvador — are also being advised they may have been exposed to measles. 

Meanwhile, York Region Public Health says a separate confirmed measles case acquired outside Canada was in the region while contagious.

Officials have identified several potential exposure sites, including the emergency department at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital on Feb. 28 and York Region Transit bus routes 16, 25, and 90B, which serve Richmond Hill and Markham, as early as Feb. 23.

TPH says that measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks. The virus can remain in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours, and people can become infected by breathing contaminated air or by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face.

Health officials say symptoms usually appear seven to 21 days after exposure and can include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and a rash that typically begins on the face and spreads down the body. Small blue-white spots known as "Koplik spots" can also appear inside the mouth and throat.

Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease, with the vaccine typically given at 12 months of age, and a second dose between four and six years of age. Anyone who has not received two doses of the measles vaccine or has not had measles is at risk of infection.

TPH says adults and children who have not been vaccinated can get their shots at doctors' offices or at a TPH community clinic for young children.

Although Ontario's measles outbreak was declared over on Oct. 6, 2025, the virus continues to circulate in the country. Of the 339 measles cases reported in Canada so far in 2026, four have been reported in Ontario, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.