New measles exposure sites in South West as WA cases rise
Health officials have confirmed two new measles exposure sites in Western Australia’s South West region as the state’s outbreak continues to escalate.
The Department of Health has flagged Vasse Village, near the Bunbury Farmers’ Market, between 12pm and 1pm on Wednesday, October 22, and Margaret River Emergency Department, between 11am and 7pm on Monday, October 27, as places where people may be exposed.
There have been 52 cases of measles recorded in Western Australia so far this year.
Eight cases were reported in the Pilbara earlier this month, prompting health authorities to warn about the highly contagious virus.
Director of the Communicable Diseases Control Directorate, Dr. Paul Armstrong said airborne droplets can still infect people who enter a room “up to 30 minutes after an infected person leaves the room.”
He recommended that anyone who is not already immune and visits an exposure site should watch for symptoms seven to 18 days after the visit.
Symptoms include fever, fatigue, runny nose, cough, painful red eyes, and a red splotchy rash that appears after three to four days.
“People who get measles often feel very unwell and some may be hospitalized,” Dr Armstrong said.
“Complications include pneumonia and, less commonly, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).”
Health experts say people who have been vaccinated against measles twice or who were born before 1966 are considered immune, but unvaccinated people, especially children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, remain at serious risk.
The Ministry of Health’s website states that measles usually occurs about 10 days after exposure, but this period can vary from seven to 18 days.
Anyone visiting the New South West areas is asked to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms develop.
Measles cases are also increasing internationally and across Australia. An alert was issued for Sydney’s Northern Beaches earlier this month, and in mid-September Victoria Health confirmed the case in a traveler returning from Europe and Bali.
Victoria Health chief medical officer Dr Caroline McElnay said there remained a risk of “measles importation” in travelers returning from overseas.
“There are currently multiple outbreaks in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, with Queensland and Western Australia reporting cases of measles in travelers recently returning from Bali,” Dr McElnay said.
