Authorities are urging people in Western Australia’s Pilbara to be on alert for measles as the number of community transmission cases continues to climb.<\/p>\n
It follows several identified cases with no known source.<\/p>\n
An eighth infection was confirmed in the region on Wednesday, with 22 more exposure sites listed across South Hedland, Redbank, and Pegs Creek between September 20 and October 1.<\/p>\n
One of the cases attended the Hedland Health Campus general ward on October 4 and the emergency department on October 6, but it is understood that the person was not a health worker.<\/p>\n
The cluster takes the total number of cases to 47 in WA so far this year, nearing the state’s worst outbreak since 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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One recent case was identified at the Hedland Health Campus. (ABC News: West Matteeussen)<\/p>\n
Dr Simon Slota-Kan, a physician with the Pilbara Public Health Unit, described the spread as “unfortunate”.<\/p>\n
“These cases have not all been linked together very closely, like we usually like them to be, and we’re concerned that there’s now community spread,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Community spread means that this has been occurring and cases have been happening, but we haven’t been able to say exactly [how] this person is linked to that particular person.”<\/p>\n
Previous cases have been traced to the Pilbara’s largely fly-in, fly-out mining workforce<\/a>, returning from destinations like Bali.<\/p>\n Dr Slota-Kan said the highly infectious nature of the virus made it especially challenging to track.<\/p>\n “It’s very easy for people to spread it without themselves knowing and people coming in contact without them knowing,” he said.<\/p>\n Several cases of measles with no known source have been confirmed in the Pilbara.\u00a0 (Supplied: WA Health)<\/p>\n WA Health has pledged additional staff and vaccine doses to combat the highly infectious virus in the Pilbara.<\/p>\n Dr Slota-Kan called on residents to monitor themselves for symptoms as schools look to return from holidays next week.<\/p>\n “That would be good preparation to check your vaccination status and make sure that you’re vigilant for any cases, to protect the schools as kids come back,” he said.<\/p>\n Testing sites are available at the Hedland Health Campus, Karratha Health Campus, Roebourne Hospital, Onslow Health Service, and Newman Health Service.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n