The B.C. Centre for Disease Control wants the public to be wary of possible measles cases, after a Japanese student visiting the province was diagnosed with the disease.
The student travelled to Vancouver, Victoria and Burnaby with a high school group, before being admitted to hospital this past weekend.
Japan is currently dealing with measles outbreaks throughout the country, with 700 cases reported so far this year.
The disease is highly contagious. Symptoms include a fever, runny nose and cough, leading to a rash around the face, chest and limbs. A patient's eyes may also become sensitive to light.
More than 20 million people worldwide are infected with measles each year. It's estimated 345,000 of those cases are fatal, according to BCCDC.
But the centre says most children in B.C. are vaccinated against the disease between the ages of one and two, so the risk to the general population is low.
"We see very few measles cases in B.C. each year because our vaccination rates are high," Dr. Monika Naus, Immunization Director for BCCDC, said in a press release.
"Nevertheless, this case shows that with global travel, even a rare vaccine-preventable disease like measles is still only an airplane ride away."
However, she urged anyone who may have been infected with the disease to contact their doctor, or call the BC NurseLine at 1-866-215-4700.
"Measles is extraordinarily contagious," she said. "So contagious that people with measles should avoid exposing others especially in medical waiting rooms and emergency rooms."
Measles can lead to serious health problems. One in 1,000 patients suffers encephalitis -- an inflammation of the brain -- which can cause convulsions, deafness or mental difficulties.
One patient in 3,000 may die of complications from measles.
