Urgent measles warning after baby infected

Health authorities have issued an urgent warning after a one-year-old boy in Adelaide was diagnosed with measles.

The one-year-old had just returned from overseas with his family, and is recovering in hospital in a stable condition.

South Australian health officials were notified of the infectious child, who had travelled into the state on a flight from Sydney.

Before that, the child had been in Dubai, and flew into the country on flight EK416 into Sydney on June 11.

From there, the boy and his family travelled to Adelaide from Sydney on flight QF749 on the same day.

He was at Adelaide Airport on June 11, before visiting SA Pathology and Benson Radiology clinic at Modbury Hospital on June 13 and a Salisbury Downs surgery on June 14.

The boy also visited the Women’s and Children’s Hospital on June 15.

“SA Health advises anyone who isn’t fully immunised, and particularly those who were in the locations at the times listed below, to be alert for symptoms over the next few weeks and to see a doctor if they become ill,” a statement from SA Health said.

Due to the highly contagious nature of the disease, officials are advising anyone who isn’t fully immunised to be alert for symptoms over the coming weeks.

SA Health has released a list of exposure sites:

• Women’s and Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, on Saturday, June 15 from 1.45am to 3.20am
• Premium Care Medical Practice, Shop 105B Hollywood Plaza, Salisbury Downs, on Wednesday, June 12 from 5pm to 6pm and Friday, June 14 from 2pm to 3pm
• Benson Radiology, located in Modbury Hospital, on Thursday, June 13 from 2pm to 3.15pm
• SA Pathology, located in Modbury Hospital, on Thursday, June 13 from 3pm to 4pm
• Adelaide Airport, on Tuesday, June 11 from 11.30pm to Wednesday, June 12 at 12.30am
• Flight QF749 from Sydney to Adelaide, on Tuesday, June 11
• Flight EK416 Dubai to Sydney, arriving on Tuesday, June 11

WHAT IS MEASLES?

Measles is a highly contagious disease that is caused by a virus and infects the respiratory tract, to later spread throughout the body.

Symptoms include cough, high fever, running nose and a large rash all over the body.

The disease can affect anyone but is most commonly seen in children, with vaccination recommended as the best way to prevent getting sick or spreading it to others.

Prior to the measles vaccine in 1963, major epidemics occurred roughly every two to three years and caused the deaths of en estimated 2.6 million people each year.

This is the sixth recorded case of the disease in SA this year, with last year recording only three cases. Officials say most cases of measles in Australia come from overseas visitors or those returning who didn’t have two doses of the vaccine.