Doctors are being urged to look out for signs of measles after two new cases of the highly contagious virus were linked to a recent university graduation ceremony at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium.
On Monday, Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Rosemary Lester issued an alert to hospitals and GPs about two unvaccinated people being diagnosed with the serious illness. Both had attended an RMIT graduation ceremony at Etihad Stadium on December 17.
The alert said doctors should consider the possibility of measles in patients with a fever and rash, and among those who attended the ceremony, because other people were likely to fall ill.
Given measles has an incubation period of up to 18 days before people become noticeably ill, the alert said people infected with the virus at the event may not experience illness until January 4 and remain infectious for “many days after that”.
“Measles is highly infectious … Other secondary cases are likely to occur,” the alert says.
The alert said children or adults born in Australia during or since 1966 who have not been vaccinated and those who have not had the disease were considered vulnerable. People whose immune systems are compromised, such as those having chemotherapy, are also at risk.
Symptoms of measles include fever, general discomfort, runny nose, dry cough, sore and red eyes, and a red and blotchy skin rash that appears first on the face and hairline, and then spreads to the body.
Measles is commonly spread when someone swallows or inhales the cough or sneeze droplets from an infected person. It can also be spread by someone touching contaminated surfaces or objects and then touching their own mouth or nose before washing their hands.
The virus is so contagious, it is estimated that one person will infect about nine in every 10 people they have contact with who have not been immunised or previously infected.
Serious and sometimes fatal complications include pneumonia and encephalitis (brain inflammation).