Passengers on a flight from Jakarta to Melbourne are being warned to watch for measles symptoms after a toddler contracted the highly contagious disease – and he may have caught it on the plane.
Victoria’s acting chief health officer, Brett Sutton, said the three-year-old boy was admitted to hospital on the weekend after flying into Melbourne on Garuda Indonesia flight GA 716 on May 13.
The Department is warning other passengers from the flight to remain alert to the signs and symptoms of measles, which can have an incubation period of up to 18 days.
Symptoms of measles include fever, sore eyes and a cough, followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash spreading from the head and neck to the rest of the body.
“Anyone developing symptoms is advised to ring ahead to their GP or hospital first and tell them that they have fever and a rash,” Sutton said in a statement on Monday.
“If you know you have been in contact with a measles case, please alert your GP or hospital emergency department.”
The disease usually initially presents as common cold symptoms that develop into a rash three to seven days later.
The health department says people aged 26 to 42 have the lowest immunisation coverage against the disease but those of any age who are have an impaired immune system are also at higher risk.
This includes people undergoing cancer treatment or on high-dose steroids.
Most cases of measles in Victoria are linked to international travel.
Source: Measles scare for passengers Jakarta to Melbourne flight | Daily Mail Online
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