Measles outbreak prompts warning

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TWO children under five and four adults have been diagnosed with measles, in one of the state’s largest outbreaks this year.

The six new cases visited a range of crowded venues during the time they were infectious, prompting health experts to today warn Queenslanders to be alert for symptoms.

The six cases all live in North Lakes and an alert has been issued for the locations they visited while infectious, from 8 — 21 May:

— A car show at the Rocklea Showgrounds on May 9;

— Mercure Hotel at North Quay on May 8 and 10;

— The Nitro Circus Live show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall on May 15; and

— The North Lakes Aquatic Centre on the afternoon of May 16;

Two of the infectious people also visited the Redcliffe Hospital emergency department on May 11 and 21.

Metro North Public Health Unit public health physician Dr Madhu Chatterji told The Courier-Mail the source of the outbreak was not yet clear, but warned that thousands of people could have been exposed to the disease at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre alone.

“In young children and immune compromised people with chronic illnesses, measles can be serious and fatal,’’ she said.

“As far as we are know these six are recovering.’’

She encouraged people with symptoms of measles — fever, tiredness, cough, runny nose and red inflamed eyes — to contact their GP to make an appointment.

“When phoning to make your appointment you should inform the practice that you may have measles, so that processes are in place to protect other patients from exposure,” Dr Chatterji said.

She said two doses of the measles vaccine provided long-term protection.

Measles is highly infectious and spread by the infected person coughing or sneezing, or by direct contact with secretions from the nose or mouth. It can cause serious complications and death in children under five or people with a chronic illness.

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