The Department of Health has issued a  Territory-wide measles alert after an infected woman visited Darwin for five days last week.

The overseas visitor is known to have spent time at crowded locations in Darwin on Thursday October 13, including the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT at Bullocky Point and the Mindil Beach Markets.

She also passed through Darwin Airport on Monday, October 17 before boarding Jetstar flight JQ921for Cairns. The Jetstar flight left Darwin for Cairns about 7.30 that night.

Acting Director of the Centre for Disease Control, Dr Peter Markey, said Queensland health authorities advised their Territory counterparts about the woman’s condition after she was hospitalised with measles in Cairns.

She was infectious between October 12-17 while in the Top End, visiting both Darwin and Kakadu during that period.

“Anyone who is not immune to measles and who visited those areas at that time, or was on that flight, should be alert to the symptoms of measles,” Dr Markey said.

“If they develop a fever and a cough, with or without a rash, over the next two weeks they should avoid public places and seek immediate medical advice.

“But anybody considering visiting a clinic with measles-like symptoms should phone in advance so arrangements can be made to prevent the spread of the virus to others.”

Measles is extremely infectious and people who are not immune can easily catch it in public places, Dr Markey said.

It is spread by coughing and sneezing. The early symptoms of measles are fever, cough, runny nose and sore eyes. A red blotchy rash follows 2-4 days later. It is a serious disease and up to one third of cases will experience a complication such as pneumonia, or encephalitis.

A person becomes immune to measles if they have previously been infected, or have had two doses of measles vaccine. Measles vaccine is often called MM, MMR or MMRV.

Dr Markey said, everyone should make it their business to be immune to measles. Anyone not already immune can gain protection against measles through a vaccination, which is available at no cost from a Territory community health centre and most general practitioners.

General information about measles is available at the Centre for Disease Control’s fact sheets. For further information on measles visit www.health.nt.gov.au

Media contact Fred McCue 0401 119 792