The WA Department of Health Director of Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Paul Armstrong has issued a measles alert for the Perth metropolitan and South West regions.
As of 31 March, 10 cases of measles have been confirmed in WA. There have been increasing measles outbreaks globally. Cases of measles in returned overseas travellers have increased across Australia, particularly among those returning from South and Southeast Asian countries.
WA Health advises to:
- Be alert for measles in any individual with fever and rash, especially among those who have recently returned from overseas (even if fully vaccinated) or attended listed exposure site during the specified period.
- Test suspected cases for measles PCR (urine and throat swab), mark the form as URGENT.
- Instruct suspected cases to wear a mask and advise to isolate until results are available.
- Urgently notify suspected measles cases with clinically compatible illness and epidemiological link (or recent overseas travel) to public health (or 1800 434 122 if after hours).
WA Health has a state funded adult measles vaccination program for people born after 1965 without evidence of two doses of a measles-containing vaccine.
