A measles outbreak has prompted face mask mandates to be reinstated at a hospital as cases soar in a popular tourist region in Far North Queensland.Â
Authorities have issued an urgent public health alert for Cairns, with six confirmed cases of the highly infectious disease recorded in the last three weeks.
Cairns Hospital, the CBD, supermarkets, shopping centres, restaurants, and backpacker hostels are among the dozens of exposure sites listed.
The hospital has introduced the compulsory wearing of masks for visitors and staff in various wards until further notice, including intensive care, maternity, and the special care nursery, along with the cancer care ward and centre.
‘While masks are not required in other areas, we strongly encourage everyone attending Cairns Hospital or any of our health facilities to wear one,’ a statement read.
‘Measles is highly contagious and spreads easily through coughing, sneezing, or direct contact with droplets from the nose or mouth.’
The initial case was linked to backpacker hostels and traced to a patient who had recently arrived from Bali.
The other five cases are believed to be locally acquired.
Cairns Hospital has introduced the compulsory wearing of masks for visitors and staff in various wards as a measles outbreak spreads across the tourist region
An unrelated case was also recorded in Townsville last week.Â
The latest alert came as NSW Health raised the alarm about a separate patient who visited multiple sites in northern NSW and Sydney while infected, including flights from Perth to Sydney (VA572) and Sydney to the Gold Coast (VA505).
They were returning from Western Australia, which has recorded 35 measles cases so far this year.
Passengers, crew, and anyone who attended Sydney or Gold Coast airports on September 12 and Tweed Valley Hospital’s emergency department on September 15 are urged to be vigilant for symptoms and to avoid public spaces if they begin to develop.
WA’s health department announced on Thursday that, of the 16 measles cases recorded since July, five were returned travellers while the others were locally acquired.
Droplets in the air may still infect people entering a room up to 30 minutes after an infected person has left.Â
Symptoms usually start 7-18 days after contact with an infected case but can take as long as three weeks to develop.Â
Initial symptoms can include fever, lethargy, runny nose, moist cough, and sore red eyes. This is followed several days later by a blotchy, red rash which often starts on the face and then becomes widespread over the body.Â
Authorities have issued an urgent public health alert for Cairns, with six confirmed cases of the highly infectious disease recorded in the last three weeks
Complications include pneumonia and encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain.Â
Anyone born after 1965 and who has not received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine is at risk of contracting measles.Â
The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is free and available at GPs and participating pharmacies.
Those who have been vaccinated or previously contracted measles are very unlikely to catch the disease, even if they have been exposed.
Aussies heading overseas should see their GP prior, particularly if travelling to south-east Asia, where recent measles outbreaks have been recorded in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.
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Urgent outbreak warning as highly-contagious virus brings back face mask mandate