Alberta has surpassed 900 cases of measles since the beginning of March.

Data from the provincial government’s measles dashboard shows 53 more cases were confirmed over the weekend, bringing the province’s total to 932.

More than two-thirds of the cases have been detected in Alberta’s south health region, which includes the communities of Taber, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.

The provincial case count — including 697 cases in children under the age of 18 — is the highest in more than 40 years.

Four people are currently hospitalized with the virus, including one person in intensive care.

The rapidly growing number of measles cases prompted Alberta Health Services to issue standing measles exposure advisories for both the south health zone, where there have been 647 cases of the virus, and the north health zone, where there have been 155 confirmed cases.

The standing advisories replace the previous practice of issuing site-specific notifications when cases are detected.

Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Shelley Duggan has said Canada is at risk of losing its measles-elimination status come October and that she doubts cases will be brought under control before then.

Health Canada said measles was eliminated in 1998 after being ruled no longer endemic. More information about measles, including the latest case numbers and information on symptoms and vaccines, is available online at alberta.ca/measles.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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