SA: Second SA measles case raises NSW concerns

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2008
SA: Second SA measles case raises NSW concerns

ADELAIDE, Aug 1 AAP - A 37-year-old Adelaide woman, diagnosed with a highly infectious
case of measles, visited Sydney while she had the disease, health officials say.

The woman was confirmed to have contracted the virus on Wednesday this week, her case
the second reported in SA this year.

But the health department said work to track down people she had come in contact with
started on Monday, when her case first came to light.

Those contacts include people on board Qantas flight QF764 from Adelaide to Sydney
on July 16 and the return flight, QF765 from Sydney to Adelaide on July 18.

Three businesses in Sydney had been contacted as a precaution.

The woman also visited a McDonald's restaurant in Adelaide, an indoor climbing centre,
a gym and various stores during her infectious period.

Director of communicable disease control Ann Koehler said an alert had been issued
to doctors to watch for other cases of measles.

"Symptoms begin with fever, coughing, runny nose and sore eyes," Dr Koehler said.

"This is then followed by a rash which usually begins on the head and then spreads down the body.

"People will still have a high fever when the rash begins and will feel very unwell."

Dr Koehler said most people born before 1966 probably had measles as a child and would
be immune while those who received two doses of the measles vaccine would also be protected.

AAP tjd/cjh/de

KEYWORD: MEASLES

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