The Department of Health has been notified of a new case of infectious measles with possible contacts around the Darwin/Palmerston area.
The person with measles was infectious while on Singapore Airlines flights from Ahmedabad SQ 531 and SQ 5203 from Singapore arriving in Darwin at 2:00am on 21 March 2017. The person also visited medical centres in the Palmerston area and Royal Darwin Hospital while infectious between 22 and 28 March 2017.
Centre for Disease Control Acting Director Dr Charles Douglas said “Measles is highly contagious and fellow travellers and residents who are not fully immunised who visited the premises above need to be alert for symptoms.”
Symptoms can include fever, tiredness, runny nose, cough and sore red eyes which usually last for several days before a red, blotchy rash appears. Complications can range from an ear infection and diarrhoea to pneumonia or swelling of the brain.
The time from exposure to the onset of symptoms is typically around 7 to 10 days but can be as long as 21 days, so there may be other cases in the community now or people who will be developing symptoms over the next few weeks.
“If symptoms develop please phone ahead when seeking medical attention to ensure you don’t share the waiting area with other patients,” Dr Douglas said.
“If people are adequately vaccinated with two recorded doses of measles mumps rubella
(MMR) vaccine they are likely to be immune and don’t require further vaccination.
“People who are unsure or have concerns about their immunity to measles should contact their doctor to check whether they have had both vaccines.
“Those born in or before 1965 would have been exposed to circulating measles, are likely to be immune and don’t require further vaccination.
“Measles can make people very unwell and although complications are uncommon they can be very serious.”
Measles is circulating overseas and it is particularly important for travellers to get vaccinated before leaving Australia.
For more information on the measles virus visit:
https://nt.gov.au/wellbeing/health-conditions-treatments/viral/measles
Media contact: Dimitra Grehl 0427 596 954