CANBERRA Airport visitors are being asked to be mindful of the symptoms of measles after a person was infectious while at the airport on Sunday, February 3. 

ACT Public Health physician Dr Kerryn Coleman says the person was at the airport between 10am and 11am.

Dr Coleman says the ACT resident acquired the infection on a recent overseas trip.

“ACT Health is currently investigating and can confirm no further cases are linked to this one at this stage,” Dr Coleman says. 

“Anyone who was at the Canberra Airport on that Sunday should be aware for signs and symptoms of measles from now until February 24. 

“We urge anyone with symptoms of measles to seek medical advice and to advise their health care provider before arriving at the clinic so that appropriate infection control precautions can be put in place to stop the spread of infection.

“Measles continues to circulate in many overseas countries, so we urge people travelling overseas should check their immune status before they leave.”

Dr Coleman says the symptoms of measles may include:

• fever, tiredness, runny nose, sore eyes and a cough, followed by a rash which appears two to seven later;
• people generally develop symptoms seven to 18 days after being exposed to a person with infectious measles, with 10 days being more common; and
• people are infectious from five days before they develop a rash until four days after.

“Measles can be highly contagious among people who are not fully immunised. This is a timely reminder for Canberrans to ensure their vaccinations are up to date,” Dr Coleman says. 

“People born in 1966 and later who do not have two recorded doses of MMR vaccine are also considered susceptible to measles.”