New confirmed measles case in Victoria, number of exposure sites listed

A measles alert has been issued in Victoria after a new confirmed case was found in Melbourne, with experts releasing a public warning for a number of exposure sites.

The Department of Health issued the warning after a new case of measles was found to be infectious in the Cranbourne area during late December.

A number of exposure sites such as supermarkets, airports and bakeries have been listed by the Department of Health.

The new case is the fourth recently found in Victoria, all linked to travel from South-East Asia.

“This case attended two public places throughout Cranbourne in south-east Melbourne while infectious on the 27 and 28 December 2024,” the state health department said.

“This is in addition to other recent measles cases that have generated a number of exposure sites in Melbourne in December.”

There have now been 17 cases of measles among Victorian residents in the twelve months since January 2024.

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and brain inflammation.

Some symptoms include rashes and high fevers.

Anyone who may have attended the listed exposure sites has been asked to monitor for symptoms and follow the instructions listed by the Department of Health, including seeking medical care, wearing a mask and isolating from others.

The infections have been linked to a number of overseas travel locations, including Vietnam, which is currently experiencing a large measles outbreak.

“At the present time, any overseas travel could lead to exposure to measles, with outbreaks reported in other countries in Asia (including Thailand, Indonesia and India), as well as Africa, Europe and the UK, the Middle East, and the USA,” the Department of Health said.

The alert comes days after another measles alert was issued in NSW after a confirmed case visited multiple locations across the state.