Province warns thousands of people could contract measles at Brandon Ag Days event

Public health officials in Manitoba have warned that thousands of people attending Canada’s largest indoor farm show this year could be exposed to measles.

Anyone who went to Ag Days in Brandon, Man., this year or visited hotels, restaurants and shops in the city during the three-day event held Jan. 20-22 is advised to monitor for symptoms of the highly contagious disease, the province said in a media bulletin Friday afternoon.

The bulletin said potential exposures may have also occurred in the days before or after the event, meaning exposures at sites not listed in the bulletin were possible, the province said.

organizers hoped About 40,000 people will participate The annual event was held late last month at the Keystone Center in the southwestern Manitoba city. Around 600 exhibitors were part of the event.

The province is advising anyone who was at an event center between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on January 20, 21 or 22 to monitor for measles symptoms until February 11, 12 or 13.

According to the province’s bulletin, people attending the “Agriculture in the Classroom” event held Jan. 20-22 at the Provincial Exhibition at the Manitoba Dome Building in Brandon should also monitor until the same date.

The bulletin also says anyone visiting the Great Western Roadhouse inside the Canad Inns Destination Center in Brandon between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on January 20 should monitor for symptoms until February 11.

The latest bulletin also warns of three other possible recent exposures in addition to the Ag Days event:

• Anyone visiting Stacked Pancake & Breakfast House, 777 Norquay Dr. in Winkler from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 should monitor for symptoms through Feb. 23.
• Anyone with symptoms should monitor for symptoms through Feb. 24 at the Boundary Trails Health Center public health office near Winkler on Feb. 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• From 7 pm on February 3 to 1:10 am on February 4, anyone should call the Boundary Trails Emergency Department for monitoring through February 26.

Earlier on Friday, Manitoba reported highest monthly case count Since the current measles outbreak began early last year.

According to the weekly update, there were 74 confirmed cases of measles in January, bringing the total number of cases in the province since February 2025 to 393 confirmed and 37 probable cases.