Health authorities are scrambling to contain a potential measles outbreak in Sydney after a new case with no known exposure links raised fears the virus is circulating undetected.
NSW Health on Saturday confirmed a south‑west Sydney resident had contracted the highly infectious illness despite having no connection to previously identified cases or exposure sites, prompting concerns of broader community transmission.
The unexplained infection brings the state’s tally to 22 measles cases this year, with officials warning the number could rise as contact tracers work to map the patient’s movements and identify further potential exposures.
The individual visited Fresh & Hot Restaurant in Wolli Creek and several health facilities in Campbelltown and Gregory Hills between February 22 and 25, including two separate presentations to the Campbelltown Hospital emergency department.
Most exposure locations previously identified by NSW Health have been concentrated in Sydney’s CBD, the Inner West, parts of the North Shore and Western Sydney.
A NSW Health spokesman said it was ‘likely measles is currently circulating within the community, and other people may have been unknowingly exposed to measles’.
South Western Sydney Local Health District Acting Director of Public Health, Dr Stephen Conaty, said people should monitor for symptoms particularly if they have visited any of the exposure locations at the listed time.
‘If symptoms develop and you’ve been at one of the locations at the time listed on the website, see your doctor or health service, including an emergency department,’ he said.
Measles induces a blotchy rash (above) and flu-like symptoms
The individual visited Fresh & Hot Restaurant in Wolli Creek and several health facilities in Campbelltown and Gregory Hills between February 22 and 25
‘Call ahead to let them know that you may have come into contact with measles so you don’t spend time in waiting rooms with other patients.
‘Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes, runny nose and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head and face to the rest of the body.’
Symptoms can take up to 18 days to appear after exposure.
Measles spreads through the air when an infectious person coughs or sneezes, but is preventable through vaccination.
Health authorities are again urging people born after 1965 to ensure they have received two doses of the vaccine, particularly before travelling overseas amid outbreaks in several regions.
A full list of locations is available on the NSW Health website.
