Western Australia measles outbreak: update

Western Australia is trying to contain an expanding measles outbreak, with 12 confirmed cases since March 19. The most recent, reported on April 2, is linked to that of a person who recently returned from Pakistan. Other cases have been detected at Hakea Prison, Bunbury Regional Hospital, and Bunbury Regional Prison. Exposure locations have been identified in Perth’s southeast, including the CY O’Connor Village Pub and a chemist warehouse in the suburbs. Anyone who visited such locations during the dates and times listed by health authorities should look for early symptoms of the virus, including fever, fatigue, and runny nose. These symptoms are followed later by a red, non-itchy rash covering most of the body.
Measles can lead to serious health complications like pneumonia or encephalitis and is especially dangerous for babies under 12 months who are too young to be vaccinated. In 2014, measles was declared to have been eradicated from Australia, but in recent years, cases have been steadily rising in the country, with 26 reported in 2023 and 57 in 2024. Data from the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System report at least 46 cases for the first three months of 2025. Western Australia is urging residents planning overseas travel to ensure they have received two doses of the MMR vaccine.