Australia: health warnings after one measles case in Sydney

Sydney health authorities have released several warnings after one measles case was confirmed in the city. The infected person had recently returned from Southeast Asia, where there is a widespread outbreak of the disease, and visited some of the city’s most popular spots. Though there is no immediate risk, the public has been invited to look for symptoms if they were in the same location at the same time as the person. A complete list of places and dates has been provided through the media. Dr Christine Selvey, New South Wales Health Director of the Communicable Disease Branch, said that symptoms will show between 7 and 18 days after being exposed to the virus, and advised the affected persons to call ahead to their GP or emergency department to avoid spending time with other patients in the waiting room.
Measles symptoms include cough, fever, and runny nose, followed a few days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the entire body. The disease can be prevented with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine available in Australia for children at 12 and 18 months of age on the National Immunisation Program. In New South Wales the vaccine is also free for people born during or after 1966 who haven’t already received two doses.