NSW Health, and health authorities in Victoria and New Zealand have issued warnings for passengers on two international and two Australian domestic flights to be alert for signs and symptoms of measles after a passenger travelling from Phuket to Christchurch via Sydney and Melbourne was diagnosed with the illness.
The flights and areas of the airport that the passenger spent time in are provided in the table below.
Passengers on these flights, and people in the airports at the same time as this person should be alert for signs and symptoms of measles until 6 April, as it can take up to 18 days for symptoms to present following exposure to a person infectious with measles.
Measles is a highly infectious viral illness which is spread easily through the air when an infectious person coughs, sneezes, or breathes. The virus can survive in the air for short periods of time, so simply being in the same room as someone who is infectious with measles can result in infection if you are not immune.
People are susceptible to measles if they have never had measles, or have not received two doses of measles vaccine. People with weakened immune systems (e.g., people who are receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer or people who take high-dose steroid medications), may also be susceptible, even if they have been vaccinated in the past.
More information about measles can be found below, and on the measles webpage.
Sydney Airport T1 International Terminal, including baggage carousels, Customs and arrivals area from 10:30am to approximately 12:30pm
Sydney Airport T2 Domestic Terminal, including check in and gates from approximately 12:30pm to 2:30pm
Jetstar flight JQ517 departing Sydney at 2:00pm arriving Melbourne Airport Terminal 4 at 3:35pm
From Melbourne the traveller continued onto Christchurch from Melbourne Airport Terminal 2 on Virgin Flight VA99 departing Melbourne at 6:35pm and arriving at Christchurch Airport at 11:35pm.