Urgent measles warning as new cases detected in WA
Anyone who attended the exposure locations during the dates and times listed is urged to monitor for symptoms.
A measles warning has been issued by WA Health after two locally acquired cases travelled on flights between Perth and the Pilbara, in the state’s north.
WA’s total caseload for the year has reached 23.
The two latest cases travelled between Perth, Port Hedland and Newman. They visited locations between June 23 and July 8, including Perth Airport and Crown Casino.
It comes as WA Health authorities on Friday issued a notice about undetected cases of measles in the state.
“The latest (Friday) case had no recent interstate or overseas travel history or known sick contacts, indicating that there have been undetected cases of measles in WA,” Communicable Diseases Control Directorate director Paul Armstrong said after a locally acquired case was announced on Friday.
“Measles can spread very quickly and anyone who is not immune is at risk of developing the disease if they are exposed.”
Anyone who attended the exposure locations during the dates and times listed is urged to monitor for symptoms.
A full list is available at health.wa.gov.au.
Measles can spread through airborne droplets and usually develop around 10 days after exposure.
Early symptoms of the virus include fever, fatigue, cough, runny nose and sore eyes, with a red, non-itchy rash emerging three or four days later.
WA Health says the rash typically starts on a person’s face, spreading to the rest of the body.
Measles can lead to serious health complications including pneumonia and encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain.
The highly infectious virus is particularly dangerous for babies under 12 months, as they are too young to be fully vaccinated.
Measles was declared to have been eradicated from Australia in 2014.
While there have been small, contained outbreaks in the years since, a disturbing trend is now emerging, with cases rising steadily since 2021, the last time there was zero cases reported in Australia.
In 2022, there were seven, 26 were reported in 2023, and in 2024 there were 57.
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