NSW Health has issued an alert for patrons of a restaurant in Strathfield, a cafe in Hurstville, and patients at the St George Hospital Emergency Department after an 8 month old infant was diagnosed with measles. patrons of a restaurant in Strathfield, a cafe in Hurstville, and patients at the St George Hospital Emergency Department after an 8 month old infant was diagnosed with measles.
Information related to the second infant mentioned in the release can be found on the Measles alert - Eastwood, Castle Hill, and Kellyville.
The infant, too young to have received their first dose of measles vaccine, most likely acquired their infection from a recent local case, after spending time in the World Square/Haymarket area. Cases like this highlight how easily the measles virus can spread, as the infant is unlikely to have had direct contact with the case, but rather was just in the same place at the same time.
Prior to being diagnosed, the infant spent time in a number of locations (detailed in the map and table below) while unknowingly infectious.
People in the same locations at the same the as the infant who may be susceptible to measles such as:
should contact their public health unit for advice on 1300 066 055 as preventive injections can be given for up to six days after exposure, for highly susceptible people.
People in the same locations at the same time as the infant should be alert for signs and symptoms of measles until 17 April, as it can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after exposure to a person who is infectious with measles.
Measles is a serious viral illness which is easily spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or breathes. The illness begins with a fever, runny nose, cough and/or sore red eyes, followed a few days later by a red, spotty, non itchy rash which usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Infants also commonly experience diarrhoea.
More information about measles can be found below, and on the measles webpage.
Map created using Arc GIS Portal (Sources: Esri, OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA)
These sites pose no ongoing risk to the public. The local public health unit are working with the Hospital to directly contact patients present at the same time as the infant.