Mandurah parents are being asked to be alert to the risk of measles following a confirmed measles illness in a person who visited a number of work places and public venues in Perth, Rockingham and Mandurah last week.
The patient had recently returned to Western Australia from Vietnam on an Air Asia flight and is believed to have frequented the Peel region on Friday, January 18 and Saturday, January 19.
Children and adults who have been inadvertently exposed are at risk of developing measles if they are not already immune.
Individuals should remain vigilant for the onset of measles symptoms during the period of January 22 – February 6 if they attended:
- Karnup Chemist Warehouse on the morning of January 19.
- Lakelands shopping centre on the morning of January 19.
- Transperth trains between Perth and Mandurah between 6.30-8pm on January 18.
There is also a warning in place for anyone who travelled on the following Air Asia flights:
- Flight AK513 from Hanoi to Kuala Lumpur on January 15.
- Flight D7236 from Kuala Lumpur to Perth on January 16.
Parents are urged to make sure their children receive their measles vaccinations on schedule.
The measles vaccine is currently given to children at 12 and 18 months of age.
The Department of Health advised there is no risk of acquiring measles from visiting one of these venues outside of these times.
They also added it is generally considered safe for non-immune individuals to enter a room 30 minutes after a measles case has left the area.
Patients effected by the serious and highly contagious illness usually develop symptoms approximately 10 days after being exposed to the virus.
Early symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and sore eyes, followed by a red blotchy rash in the following days.
Complications as a result of measles can be serious and include ear infections and pneumonia in about 10 per cent of cases.
Around 30 per cent of cases require a hospital admission and about one person in every 1,000 will develop encephalitis, inflammation of the brain.
People who are concerned they may have measles and require medical advice after hours can contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
To learn more about measles, visit the Department of Health website.
