Territorians are being asked to be alert for measles after it was confirmed an infected person passed through Darwin Airport on the 26th of January.
The infectious person travelled on Tiger Airways flight TR702 from Singapore to Darwin on the 25th of January before continuing on Tiger Airways flight TT7567 to Melbourne at 2:20am on the 26th of January.
Acting Director of the Centre for Disease Control, Dr Peter Markey has said that as a result three other people have been identified as having measles, acquired on one of the flights or in the airport. These cases live in the Katherine region.
"Passengers sitting near the case on the flights in and out of Darwin have been contacted and, if not immune to measles, have been offered preventative treatment"
"However, there is still a small risk that other passengers and visitors to the airport may have been exposed," Dr Markey said.
Measles is a very contagious viral illness that is spread between people through coughing and sneezing. The symptoms of measles are fever, cough, runny nose and sore eyes, followed by a red blotchy rash 3-4 days later.
To be immune to measles you need to have either had measles or had two doses of measles vaccine. Anyone who is not immune to measles who feel they may have been exposed and are experiencing these symptoms are encouraged to seek health advice from either their local health provider or the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the NT.
Contact details are as follows:
Business hours: (08) 89228044
After hours: (08) 89228888 and ask for the on-call CDC doctor
If you should consider visiting a healthcare facility with symptoms suggestive of measles, it is important to phone in advance so that arrangements can be made to prevent the spread of the virus to other people.
In those not already immune, protection against measles can be achieved by vaccination. This vaccine is available from your community health centre (in the NT) and most general practitioners.
More information is available from the Centre for Disease Control publications website
Contact: Sonia Peters 0401 119 550
Release date: 12 February 2008
