Measles alert issued along the Great Ocean Road

THE Department of Health and Human Services has alerted tourists and locals across the state, including between Geelong and Warrnambool, to the signs and symptoms of measles.

Last week, deputy chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton said many people may have been exposed to the virus between March 3-7 in a large number of city and rural locations, including along the Great Ocean Road.

“An infected woman, in her 20s, visited a number of tourist locations and popular sites across Melbourne. She is now being treated in hospital.

“People who develop illness over the next two weeks should alert their doctor or hospital emergency department.”

Measles has an incubation period of up to 18 days so those at risk of measles who visited these locations might show symptoms up until March 21. Locations visited include:

• March 3 – Flinders Backpackers (Elizabeth Street, Melbourne), Flinders Street railway station, tram routes 16 and 96 to and from St. Kilda beach, St Kilda beach
• March 4 – Flinders Backpackers, Coles Central (Flinders and Elizabeth streets), McDonalds (Elizabeth Street)
• March 5 – Flinders Backpackers, Philip Island, Nobbies Visitor Centre Café
• March 6 – Flinders Backpackers, Westpac Bank (Elizabeth Street), Medicare office (Galleria Shopping Centre, Bourke Street), and
• March 7 – Flinders Backpackers, multiple sites along the Great Ocean Road between Geelong and Warrnambool.

On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services issued an unrelated measles alert for passengers on AirAsia flight D7214, which arrived at Tullamarine from Kuala Lumpur on March 7 at about 9.30am.

An Australian man in his 40s became unwell on the flight and went straight to hospital, where the illness was diagnosed.

Measles is a highly infectious viral disease that can cause serious illness, particularly in very young children and adults. People can develop pneumonia and other serious complications from the disease, and often need to be hospitalised.

The illness usually begins with common cold symptoms such as runny nose, red eyes and a cough, followed by fever and rash, Dr Sutton said.

“The characteristic measles rash usually begins three to seven days after the first symptoms, generally starting on the face and then spreading to the rest of the body.

“Anyone developing symptoms is advised to ring ahead to their general practitioner or hospital first and tell them that they may have measles so that appropriate steps can be taken to avoid contact with other patients.”

For more information, head to the website at betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/measles.