Travelers are being warned to look out for symptoms of measles after a new case was discovered in a passenger on an international flight to Australia.
The contracted case was reported in Victoria after the person was unmasked on his VietJet Air flight VJ083, which arrived in Brisbane on December 4, Victoria’s acting chief health officer Christian McGrath said.
It is the second case discovered in Victoria in December after another traveler tested positive in Queensland after traveling through Melbourne Airport while infectious.
People who were at Melbourne Airport between 9.24pm and 10.30pm on December 8 and at Melbourne Airport between 5am and 7.25am on December 9 are urged to monitor for symptoms.
These may include fever, cough, sore or red eyes, runny nose and a general feeling of being unwell, followed by a red, bumpy rash.
An infected person was also traced to the Woolworths store at The Links Shopping Center in Oakleigh South, Friendly Grocer and Pastry Supreme Bakehouse in Bentleigh East on December 19 between 11.27am and 12.55pm.
Anyone who visited any of the exposure sites on the specific dates and times should monitor for symptoms.
The measles case comes as chief health officer Clare Looker revealed wastewater testing detected poliovirus in the Melbourne metropolitan area.
A case of measles has been recorded in Victoria after a passenger on an international flight was exposed to the disease which first arrived in Brisbane on December 4 (stock image)
The case of poliovirus type 2 was discovered on December 2 and appears to have come from someone who may have received a vaccine.
“This detection is likely linked to someone who received a live polio vaccine overseas and has continued to spread the virus since arriving in Victoria,” Dr Looker said.
“The presence of the virus in wastewater does not pose a risk to Melbourne residents as the sewage is thoroughly treated.”
Australia uses an inactivated polio vaccine, which prevents the disease from multiplying in the body and cannot cause polio or be detected in the intestines or drains.
Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that can cause paralysis and death.
Children and adults who are not fully vaccinated against polio are at greatest risk if exposed to an infected person, and the best protection against polio is through immunization, Dr. Looker said.
There has been a rise in measles cases among returned travelers across Australia in recent weeks, amid growing international outbreaks, including Vietnam.
Fifteen cases of measles have been reported among Victorians since the start of the year.
People who attended Melbourne Airport (pictured) between 9.24pm and 10.30pm on December 8 and between 5am and 7.25am on December 9 are urged to monitor for symptoms
It comes just after wastewater testing discovered poliovirus, a disease that can cause paralysis and death, in the Melbourne metropolitan area
Unvaccinated babies are at high risk of contracting the virus, while infants, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at increased risk of serious complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis.
Symptoms can develop up to 18 days after exposure, with people cautioned to be vigilant as initial symptoms can be similar to those of COVID-19 or the flu.
People are potentially contagious from 24 hours before symptoms appear until four days after the rash appears.
The virus can spread through airborne droplets or contact with nasal or throat secretions and contaminated surfaces and objects, and can persist in the environment for up to two hours.
Measles outbreaks have been reported in Asia, Africa, Europe and the United Kingdom, the Middle East and the US.