Disturbing echo of Covid as health department releases list of ‘exposure sites’, including a major shopping mall, after state reports first measles case since 2020
NSW Health has issued list of ‘places of exposure’ after measles case reported
On the list are a shopping center, a Catholic church and a university
The reported case, which caught a 50-year-old in Asia, is NSW’s first since 2020
Measles symptoms include fever, sore eyes and cough followed by a red rash
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NSW health authorities have responded to the state’s first case of measles since February 2020 by issuing a list of ‘places of exposure’ in a move evoking terrible memories of the measures used to stop the spread of Covid in Australia .
The health department tracked the transfer of the measles patient, who is now isolated in the hospital, to a church, university and shopping center over the course of four days.
The patient is a 50-year-old who contracted the virus while traveling in Asia.
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that is spread through the air when someone who is contagious coughs or sneezes.
NSW health authorities have issued a warning about the first case of measles discovered in the state since early 2020
The health warning said the victim, while contagious, had attended a Catholic church in the southeastern suburb of Malabar on Sunday morning.
On Tuesday, the person spent all day in the Tyree Energy Building on the University of NSW campus while having lunch at the Lounge Restaurant.
They also visited the Pacific Square shopping center, in Sydney’s southeastern suburb of Maroubra, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
dr. Jeremy McAnulty, executive director of NSW Health, urged people at those locations to check themselves for measles symptoms until Sept. 24.
The NSW health department sent a list of ‘exposure sites’ and the times the measles patient visited them
A Catholic mass held in Malabar, a suburb in southeastern Sydney, is one of the places where the measles patient has been exposed
The warning applies to people who have not had a lifetime dose of measles vaccine twice, a confirmed history of measles infection, or who have a weakened immune system.
Unvaccinated people who have visited these locations at the same times should contact their local public health unit on 1300 066 055 for advice.
Measles symptoms include fever, sore eyes, and cough, followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head and neck to the rest of the body.
Anyone showing these symptoms is urged to call their GP beforehand to ensure they are not in a waiting room while contagious with other patients.
The large Pacific Square shopping center in Sydney’s southeastern suburb of Maroubra was one of the exposure sites
dr. McAnulty said the incident demonstrates the importance of getting the measles vaccine, especially for those traveling abroad in areas of transmission.
“Maintaining high levels of measles vaccination within the community reduces the risk of measles being imported into Australia by return travelers,” said Dr. McAnulty.
Building herd immunity reduces the local spread of the virus when introduced and protects infants and people with weakened immune systems.
“The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is a safe and effective protection against measles,” said Dr. McAnulty.
The telltale sign of measles is a red blotchy rash that can break out all over the body
“It’s free for anyone born during or after 1966 who hasn’t had two doses. If you’re not sure if you’ve had two doses, it’s safe to take another one,” said Dr McAnulty.
In June, NSW Health reported a case of measles in a Victorian resident who visited the border area but stayed in Albury while unknowingly being contagious.