Measles cases are on the rise in Canada and that's prompted the territory's acting chief public health officer to issue a heads-up about the potential of it happening here.

Dr. Andre Corriveau issued an advisory on Monday afternoon about the possible introduction of measles into the NWT through travel, especially with people coming back from spring break. He noted that cases have gone up dramatically this year and many jurisdictions across the country are experiencing an uptick.

"The rise in measles cases and inter-provincial transmission is a concern as more people are travelling out of (the) NWT during March break," he stated.

Measles is one of the most transmissible and infectious diseases out there, he added, and could infect as many as nine out of every 10 people. It's spread through the air by an infected person sneezing or coughing and you can become infected by either breathing in the air or touching a surface that has been contaminated.

The virus can remain in the air for as long as two hours after an infected person leaves an area and it can be spread up to four days before the rash appears and until four days after.

Symptoms can appear between 10 to 14 days after being exposed to the virus and those symptoms include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and a skin rash made up of large, flat red blotches that usually start on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Those blotches can last for up to seven days.

There is no known cure for measles, but most people recover fully after about two to three weeks. It's much more serious, however, for infants, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems. Complications from the virus include ear infections, lung infections and brain inflammation which can lead to deafness, seizures, brain damage, or even death.

Anyone who's received two doses of the measles vaccine should be nearly 100 per cent immune to the virus - all children 12 months and over should already have two doses of measles containing vaccine given at least four weeks apart. Those who were born after 1970 should have two vaccinations already, but if you aren't sure, you're asked to check with a health care provider and talk about your vaccination status.

The best way to stop the spread, Corriveau added, is to stay home if you're sick, especially after travelling.