New South Wales Health issued a measles alert on Sunday after a woman contracted the virus from a child diagnosed days earlier. The woman visited several locations in Sydney's west, including Baby Bunting and Kmart in Blacktown, Winston Hills Mall, and Westmead Hospital emergency department, potentially exposing others.
Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, and ear infections. Australia was declared measles-free in 2014 due to widespread vaccination, but 28 cases have been detected this year. Health officials urge anyone born during or after 1966 to ensure they have received two doses of the measles vaccine.
Meanwhile, other respiratory illnesses are on the rise across Australia. Flu levels are currently higher than expected, with nearly twice as many cases as the same time last year. Whooping cough and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases are also increasing, while COVID-19 levels remain relatively low after the summer surge of the JN.1 variant.
Experts are calling for improved indoor air quality standards to reduce airborne disease transmission. A recent paper in the journal Science, led by Queensland University of Technology's Professor Lidia Morawska, recommends mandatory indoor air quality standards for public spaces, using carbon dioxide sensors as a proxy for ventilation.
