Status: Active
Date issued: 16 January 2019
Issued by: Dr Brett Sutton, Acting Chief Health Officer, Victoria
Issued to: General practitioners and Hospital Emergency Departments
Key messages:
- There has been an additional confirmed case of measles who may have been infectious whilst in and around the Mildura area between Tuesday 15 January and Tuesday 22 January 2019:
- Tuesday 15 January: Langtree Mall, Mildura (day)
- Saturday 19 January: The Wooden Door Restaurant, Irymple (morning), Caterpillars, Mildura (morning), Ritchies Supa IGA, Wentworth, NSW (afternoon).
- Monday 21 January: Mildura Base Hospital Emergency Department (8.30am to 12.30pm and 8.00pm to 9.00pm).
- This case is not related to the two previously reported cases who may have been infectious whilst at Box Hill Hospital between Thursday 10 January and Sunday 13 January and around Inner East and North East Melbourne between Wednesday 9 January and Saturday 12 January 2019.
- Be alert for measles in patients presenting with a fever at rash onset, particularly if they attended the above places in the 7-18 days prior to onset of illness.
- Isolate suspected cases to minimise the risk of transmission within your department/practice.
- Notify the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Section at the Department of Health and Human Services on 1300 651 160 of suspected cases immediately.
- Take blood for measles serology in all suspected cases.
- Discuss whether to take nose and throat swabs for PCR with the department if your suspicion for measles is high. Approval is required prior to PCR testing at the reference laboratory. PCR testing for measles does not attract a Medicare rebate.
- Free measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is now available from GPs and some pharmacies for all eligible adults born during or since 1966.
Read the full alert here.
Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.