Victorian health department issues measles warning as infectious person visits McDonalds, grocers, toy store
An urgent health warning has been issued after a traveller with measles landed in Melbourne and visited a busy McDonalds and several busy shops along the Great Ocean Road.
The returning traveller was infectious and arrived from overseas on Tuesday 25 June, before visiting a McDonalds near the airport, toy shops and supermarkets in south-west Victoria.
It is the eleventh case of measles in Victoria this year.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted from person to person and can lead to rare but serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.
Anyone who has been in the same shops as the traveller is urged to monitor for symptoms over the next two weeks.
Anyone born in or after 1966 who does not have documented proof of having received two doses of a measles vaccine, or who does not have documented proof of immunity, is at risk for measles.
Unvaccinated children are at particularly high risk of contracting measles.
Unvaccinated babies are at greatest risk. Photo: iStock
Possible places of exposure, movements of infected person:
June 24 – Departed from Singapore Changi Airport at 8:10 pm
June 25 – Arrived Melbourne International AirportTerminal 2 at 5:25 am
25 June – McDonald’s173 Mickleham Road, Westmeadows (near the airport), 7am – 9am
25 June – CabbageColac from 11:00 to 12:00
June 26 – Toy World Warrnambool3:00 PM to 3:50 PM
June 27 – Friendly grocerPort Campbell, 11:00am to 11:40am
June 28 – Hotel Port CampbellPort Campbell, 5:00pm to 7:00pm
June 28 – Friendly grocerPort Campbell, 6:30pm to 7:30pm
The Victoria Department of Health issued the warning on Wednesday, June 3.
The virus spreads through droplets, contact with nasal or throat secretions, and via contaminated surfaces and objects.
The measles virus can remain in the environment for up to two hours.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be prevented with the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Photo: Yuri Dyachyshyn / AFP
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, sore or red eyes, a runny nose, and a general feeling of being unwell, followed by a red skin rash.
The rash usually starts on the face and then spreads over the body. Symptoms can develop between seven and 18 days after exposure, the health service advises.
Outbreaks of measles have recently been reported in Asia, including Indonesia and India, Africa, Europe and the United Kingdom, the Middle East and the US.