Measles alert issued south of Brisbane after traveller tests positive

A measles alert has been issued for communities south of Brisbane after health authorities confirmed a traveller retuning from Bali via Brisbane Airport last week was unknowingly infectious.

West Moreton Public Health Unit said the patient from Boonah – a community about 70 kilometres south-west of Brisbane – had landed in Brisbane at 5.40am on Tuesday last week, on flight JQ60.

The person then visited locations in Yamanto and Boonah across the week, before testing positive later in the week.

Dr Catherine Quagliotto, Public Health Physician at West Moreton Health, said the airborne illness was highly contagious, and spread by droplets in coughs and sneezes.

She said that while this meant the locations did not pose any ongoing risk to people visiting them outside the indicated times, symptoms could take between seven and 10 days to appear.

“Early signs can include fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes, followed a few days later by a distinctive red, blotchy rash,” Quagliotto said.

The rash might take up to six days to appear, and patients are generally considered infectious five to six days before first symptoms appear.

Queensland Health urged those experiencing symptoms to stay home and seek treatment where necessary.

Testing is available at GPs and some hospitals in Brisbane, although medical experts advised anyone who suspected they had measles to stay away from public spaces and call their doctor or a health professional for advice.

Treatment for measles generally includes rest, keeping hydrated, and over-the-counter pain relief.

Most people recover within four days of a rash appearing, and Quagliotto said that while complications are rare, measles can cause severe illness.

“Vaccination offers the best protection for both individuals and the community,” she said.

Queensland Health considers at-risk groups to be anyone who is unvaccinated and born after 1965, is immunocompromised, or who has never contracted measles.

Most Australians are fully vaccinated against measles – with a 93.8 per cent uptake in children over five – with the government offering a free two-dose vaccine program for infants.

The vaccine is also free for adults aged under 20, and anyone entering the country for humanitarian reasons that might need a catch-up vaccination.

People who have previously contracted measles are unlikely to become reinfected.

There is no booster shot for the MMR/MMRV vaccines.

Vaccination is not possible for people who might be pregnant, have a compromised immune system, or have had allergic reactions to any previous dose or component of a measles vaccine.

More information on the disease is available by calling 13 HEALTH (13 432 584) or by visiting the Queensland Health website.

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