Measles warning after infected woman was at Auburn Hospital
A woman with measles has visited a western Sydney hospital’s maternity ward and emergency department while being highly contagious.
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A woman who was a patient at Auburn Hospital may have infected others — including mothers and babies — with the highly-contagious disease.
Western Sydney Local Health District warned the public to stay on alert for measles symptoms after a woman with the highly contagious disease visited the hospital’s emergency department and maternity ward on Sunday, September 15 from 3pm to 7.45pm and 7.45pm respectively.
She also visited Gebran Lebanese Cuisine restaurant in Mt Lewis on Thursday, September 13 from 8pm to midnight.
A health service spokeswoman confirmed the woman, in her 30s, was a patient at the hospital.
“The woman presented to hospital unaware she had measles and then once she was assessed it was determined she had measles,’’ she said.
People who had been to the affected locations should look out for symptoms of measles until October 5.
The service’s public health unit director Dr Shopna Bag said people who had been exposed to a person with measles were at risk of developing the disease if they were not already immune. “It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear following exposure to a person with measles,” Dr Bag said.
“Anyone who develops symptoms should arrange to see their GP and call ahead to ensure they don’t wait in the doctor’s waiting room with other patients.
“Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes and a cough followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.”
Measles is a vaccine preventable disease that is spread through the air when someone who is
infectious with the disease coughs or sneezes.
“Measles is one of the most contagious diseases for humans but two doses of measles-mumps-
rubella vaccine provide lifelong protection against measles in 99 out of 100 vaccinated people,” Dr Bag said.
The measles vaccine is available free for infants from six months of age and
anyone born during or after 1966 who does not have two documented doses of measles vaccine.
“If you’re unsure whether you’ve been vaccinated against measles in the past, it’s safe to have a dose.”