New measles case sparks public health alert in Australia's Sydney
Oct 06, 2023
Sydney [Australia], October 6: Health authority in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has issued an urgent health warning for international flight passengers after reporting a new measles case at Sydney Airport from overseas.
According to a statement by NSW Health on Thursday, an adult passenger acquired the infection while traveling overseas and took an international flight that landed in Sydney on Monday morning.
Sean Tobin, associate director of the Northern Sydney Public Health Unit, said that these locations do not pose an ongoing risk.
But he urged people who may be susceptible to measles and were on the flight or at the Sydney Airport's international terminal at these times to monitor for symptoms until Oct. 20.
"Those most likely to be susceptible to measles are infants under 12 months of age who are too young to be vaccinated, anyone who is not fully vaccinated against the disease, which may include some adults, and people with a weakened immune system," said the expert.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that can lead to severe complications and death. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.
NSW Health also noted that measles cases have also been reported in other states in recent weeks.
"Given the increase in travel associated with the recent school holidays, it would not be unexpected to see further measles cases in NSW," said the ministry.
Including this newly reported case, NSW Health has issued six measles alerts so far this year. There have been eight people confirmed contagious, including two infants who were unable to get vaccinated at a young age.
Source: Xinhua
