Measles health alert issued for inner Sydney

SYDNEY: Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have issued a health alert for cases of measles in inner Sydney.

NSW Health issued the alert on Friday, advising people to be alert for symptoms and signs of measles after authorities were notified of a confirmed case who visited several locations in inner Sydney while infectious.

The case is a European tourist who arrived in Sydney on Dec. 11 from Vietnam, the alert said.

The tourist spent time in several public locations, including the airport, supermarkets, a cinema and on public transport on Dec. 11 and 12 before visiting a medical center in Sydney’s inner west on Dec. 15 and 16.

Leena Gupta, Sydney’s Local Health District Clinical Director of Public Health, said people who may have been exposed to the case should be on the lookout for symptoms.

“Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head and face to the rest of the body,” she said in a statement.

She said symptoms can take up to 18 days to appear so people should monitor for symptoms until early January.

Anyone who developed symptoms had been advised to call their doctor or closest emergency department and say that they may have measles to ensure they do not spend time in waiting rooms with other patients.

-Xinhua