SYDNEY: Health authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have issued a measles alert for central Sydney and the city's airport.
NSW Health said on Thursday (Nov 13) that it has been notified that a confirmed measles case from the neighbouring state of Queensland visited several Sydney locations while infectious between Nov. 8 to 10, including a concert attended by around 70,000 people.
Anyone who visited a list of locations including the Sydney Airport, central business district, the concert and trains in the city's inner-west between Nov. 8 to 10 has been advised to monitor for measles symptoms until Nov. 28.
Jeremy McAnulty, Executive Director of Health Protection NSW, said in a statement that it can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure to measles.
He advised anyone who develops symptoms, including fever, sore eyes and a cough followed by a rash, to call ahead to their doctor or hospital to avoid spending time in a waiting room with other patients.
Queensland Health said that the case also spent time in central Brisbane and at the Brisbane Airport while they were unknowingly infectious.
According to the latest data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, there have been 153 confirmed cases of measles in Australia so far in 2025, more than the 115 cases reported in the previous five years combined.
Of the 153 cases in 2025, 30 have been in Queensland and 28 in NSW. - Xinhua
