Measles alert issued for adults and children
The Western Australian Government's Department of Health this week issued an urgent alert after confirming measles in a person that had visited the IKEA store at Innaloo as well as the Perth Zoo on January 2.
“The patient had no recent history of travel overseas and is believed to have acquired their measles infection in South West WA,” a statement from the Department of Health said.
The South Australian Health authority also released information yesterday on a 21-year-old woman who had contracted measles this week after having household contact with another confirmed case.
Symptoms for the measles develop generally within 10 days of exposure and include a fever, cough, runny nose and sore eyes, followed by a red and blotchy rash.
The Western Australian Government’s Department of Health has issued an urgent alert after confirming a case of the illness in a person who visited the Perth Zoo and the IKEA store at Innaloo.
The alert said both children and adults who visited the zoo on New Year’s Day or the IKEA store about lunchtime on January 2 could have been affected and at risk up until January 20.
Doctors say as we age, we can lose the original protection of vaccines to create "disease battling antibodies and memory cells” that attack infections. Therefore even if once vaccinated.. seniors could be at risk from the measles and recommend re-vaccination for older adults.