NSW Health has warned locals to stay alert for symptoms of a highly infectious disease after three infectious cases travelled to several locations in northern NSW.
The health authority said the three individuals were infected with measles and included one unvaccinated case who returned from Vietnam, where there is an ongoing large scale outbreak of the disease.
“Measles is a vaccine preventable disease that is spread through the air when someone who is infectious coughs or sneezes,” Director of Public Health for Hunter New England Local Health District Dr David Durrheim said.
“Symptoms to watch out for include fever, runny nose, sore eyes and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.”
The disease is extremely infectious and if untreated can be fatal, especially for young children.
People who attended the below locations should monitor for symptoms:
Charlestown soccer ground
March 1 from 2 – 5pm
Belmont Hospital emergency department
10 March from 10:30am – 8:30pm
23 March from 11am – 6pm
Go Vita Lake Haven shopping centre
2 March from 11am – 2pm
16 March from 10am – 4pm
Go Vita Mount Hutton shopping centre
17 March from 11am – 5pm
These locations do not pose ongoing risk.
Mr Durrheim said it could take up to 21 day for symptoms to appear after exposure, so it’s important for people who visited these locations to look out for symptoms for three weeks after the dates listed.
If symptoms develop, he advised calling a general practitioner or emergency department in advance to ensure time in the waiting room is not with other patients given the disease’s infectious nature.
Measles is spread through the air when an infectious person coughs or sneezes.
It is preventable by the MMR vaccine.
NSW Health has urged residents to check their measles vaccination status, noting that the MMR vaccine is free for children at 12 and 18 months. and those born after 1965, who haven’t received two doses of the vaccine.
If individuals aren’t sure whether they have received two doses, the health authority recommends receiving another dose, as additional doses are safe.
Anyone planning overseas travel should make sure they have received appropriate travel vaccinations, including the MMR vaccination, the health authority said.
Alerts were earlier issued this month by the South West Sydney local health district, with the state amassing more than 10 confirmed cases in the first three months of the year.
Neighbouring states have also recorded a rise in transmissions amid outbreaks in the U.S. and South East Asia.
https://thewest.com.au/news/nsw-health-issues-measles-alert-for-newcastle-and-lake-macquarie-areas-c-18154165
