Virgin Australia passenger sparks health warning after coming down with measles on flight from Adelaide to Brisbane
- Passenger on VA1397 from Adelaide to Brisbane has come down with the virus
- Anyone on the flight is urged to look out for potential symptoms of the measles
- Those who are unvaccinated or have weakened immune systems are at risk
- Infection causes fever, a red rash and can even lead to hospitalisation
Passengers on a Virgin Australia flight are being urged to check themselves for symptoms of measles, after one traveler came down with the highly infectious disease.
Those who traveled on Brisbane-bound VA flight 1397 from Adelaide on June 28 were exposed to the infected passenger, as well as anyone travelling through Adelaide and Brisbane domestic airports that afternoon.
Dr Satyamurthy Anuradha told the Brisbane Times that the passenger lives in southern Brisbane.
Measles is one of the most easily-spread human infections, NSW Health says.
The highly infectious disease produces a red rash and can lead to more sinister complications
Initial symptoms include fever, tiredness and sore red eyes. Then, the typical red rash will emerge after four to seven days.
While the infection usually dissipates after two weeks, complications can be more sinister.
In Australia, there were 50 hospital admissions for measles in 2016, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports.
While just three people died of the virus in Australia from 1996 to 2016, 110,000 people died of measles worldwide in 2017, the World Health Organisation reports.
Measles is currently on the rise in Australia.
In the first six months of 2019 alone, there were 92 confirmed cases of the infection. That’s compared to 93 for all of 2018, and 81 for 2017.
Those who passed through Brisbane and Adelaide domestic airports on the afternoon of June 29th are urged to check themselves for symptoms of measles, which include fever, tiredness, sore eyes and a red rash
People born between 1966 and 1994 are also urged to check that they have had both doses of the measles rumps rubella virus.