Measles alert issued over infectious man's stopover at Aussi

SYDNEY, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Australian health authorities have issued a measles alert in Brisbane, a week after a man with the disease had a brief stop over in the city's international airport, reports said on Wednesday.

Last week, a young New Zealander man, while en route from Bali, Indonesia to Wellington in New Zealand, had spent time at the Brisbane's international airport transit lounge while contracting the disease.

Dr Heidi Carroll from the Queensland Health Department said anyone who might have come into contact with the man at that time needs to be alert for the symptoms of measles.

"The initial symptoms of measles include fever, lethargy, runny nose, moist cough and sore and red eyes," she said.

"This is followed a few days later by a blotchy, red rash which often starts on the face and then becomes widespread over the body."

Dr Carroll said the symptoms show after 10 days of contact with the infectious person, but were known to occur between seven and 18 days after contact.

"We would expect that anyone who has caught measles as a result of this contact would be starting to show symptoms now, or over the next few days."

She advised people who may have come into contact with the patient and who are uncertain of their immunity to measles to speak with their doctor immediately.

The man is said to have travelled on Virgin Airlines flight VA46 from Denpasar, Indonesia and Virgin Airlines flight VA104 from Brisbane to Wellington on July 24. Enditem