Measles Warning After Infected Traveler Arrives at Sydney Airport

A measles alert has been issued for Sydney Airport after a traveller who was infected with the virus flew in from Honolulu last week. The person arrived in Sydney on Jetstar flight JQ4 from Honolulu at 4:29 pm on Friday, January 17, and then took a domestic flight to the Gold Coast later that evening.

Before boarding the domestic flight, the traveller spent time in Sydney's international terminal from around 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm and then moved to the T3 domestic terminal between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm. They stayed in the domestic terminal until 9 pm.

NSW Health issued the alert after it was revealed that the traveller may have been contagious during their time in the airport. This comes just days after another measles warning, after a traveller from Vietnam, where there's a measles outbreak, arrived in Sydney.

Dr. Christine Selvey from NSW Health reminded anyone who was at the airport or on these flights to monitor for symptoms, which can include fever, sore eyes, a runny nose, and a cough, followed by a rash a few days later. The symptoms can show up up to 18 days after exposure, so anyone who was at the airport at those times should watch out for symptoms until February 4.

If symptoms appear, it's important to call ahead before visiting your doctor. Dr. Selvey also stressed the importance of getting vaccinated against measles, especially before travelling overseas, as outbreaks are happening around the world. Anyone born after 1965 should ensure they’ve had two doses of the measles vaccine.

You can find more info on the NSW Health website.