Ikea urgently warns customers they may have been exposed to MEASLES after woman is diagnosed with the deadly disease
- Ikea customers have been warned they may have been exposed to measles
- WA Health Department warned people to be on lookout for onset of symptoms
- The sick person visited Ikea in Innaloo, Perth , or Perth Zoo on January 2
- Health authorities are urging parents to make sure their kids are vaccinated
Ikea customers have been warned they may have been exposed to measles after a person carrying the disease shopped at a store.
WA Health Department warned people to be on the lookout for symptoms if they visited Ikea in Innaloo, Perth, or Perth Zoo at around lunchtime on January 2.
The sick person, who has not travelled overseas recently, is believed to have caught the disease in south west Western Australia before visiting the two sites.
Ikea customers have been warned they may have been exposed to measles after a person carrying the disease shopped at a store (stock image)
Adults and children who have not been vaccinated against the disease are warned to check for the onset of symptoms up to January 20.
Health authorities are urging parents, particularly those living in the area, to make sure their children have been vaccinated.
The measles vaccine is currently given to children at 12 and 18 months of age.
Director of Communicable Diseases Dr Paul Armstrong said public health staff tried their best to notify the public about the exposure but it is impossible to identify everyone who was in the area.
‘Measles is a serious and highly contagious viral illness spread by tiny droplets released when infected people cough and sneeze,’ Dr Armstrong said.
‘Every measles case is treated as a public health emergency because of the risk of local spread – including to those most vulnerable to infection, such as infants too young to be vaccinated, those with compromised immune systems and pregnant women who are not already immune through vaccination or previous infection.’
WA Health Department warned people to be on the lookout for symptoms if they visited Ikea in Innaloo, Perth (pictured), or Perth Zoo at around lunchtime on January 2
The symptoms usually appear about 10 days after becoming exposed to the virus.
Early symptoms typically include fever, cough, runny nose and sore eyes before a red blotchy rash appears three or four days later.
In most cases the rash begins on the face before spreading to the rest of the body.
‘Anyone who has had a potential exposure to measles, and who develops a fever with these other symptoms should see a doctor,’ Dr Armstrong said.
‘It is important to call ahead of travelling to a clinic or Emergency Department so that they can be isolated from infecting other patients and staff when they arrive.’
Natural occurring measles infections have been eliminated in WA for about 20 years due to high vaccination coverage but there are instances of small outbreaks.
These typically occur when residents travel overseas to infected countries.
Those born before 1966 are usually immune from the disease as they likely contracted it as a child while those born afterwards are urged to check documentation to ensure they were vaccinated.
The sick person, who has not travelled overseas recently, is believed to have caught the disease in south west Western Australia before visiting the two sites (pictured: Perth Zoo)
Measles is a serious disease that can cause complications such as ear infections and pneumonia in about 10 per cent of cases.
In about 30 per cent of cases a patient will be admitted to hospital.
One in every 1,000 case will develop encephalitis, the inflammation of the brain.