Parents on the Gold Coast are being warned to keep a close eye on their children following a person who had measles attending school and catching buses while ill. Health authorities warn that anyone who attended Clover Hill State School, or took specific bus routes, on October 7 may have contracted the illness.
The ill person was not aware that they had measles when they attended the entire day at school on Tuesday, October 7. They attended from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm. This is an entire school day where they could have infected hundreds of other students and teachers with the illness. Queensland Health discovered the case and immediately began warning others who may have come into contact with the infected individual. The school is located in Mudgeeraba, and families living in that area are now concerned their kids could get infected as well.
Buses Affected Too
It gets even worse because the ill person also travelled to school on buses that afternoon. They caught the bus from Tulipwood Drive in Bonogin to Austinville. Then they rode another school bus from Clover Hill State School to Austinville. Anybody sitting close to them on those buses could have inhaled the germs. Measles is very easy to spread when a person coughs or sneezes close to you.
You can even get it by touching something someone who had the disease touched and then rubbing your face. Health workers tell us measles is one of the most infectious diseases. If you’re in the same room with someone who has it and you’re not vaccinated, there is a very good chance you’ll become ill as well.
What to Look Out For
People who were at the school or on those buses must be on the lookout for symptoms over the next three weeks. That’s how long it will take for measles to appear after you’re infected. The symptoms typically start around seven to ten days after you’ve been exposed, but sometimes it takes full three weeks.Â
To begin with, measles resembles a cold or the flu really badly. You’ll have a fever and be extremely exhausted. Your nose will be runny, you’ll cough terribly, and your eyes will sting and redden. And then there’s the bit that makes measles easy to identify, a red, blotchy rash. The rash most often begins on your face and then moves down your entire body.
Stay Home If You’re Ill
Queensland Health is appealing for anyone who suspects that they have measles to avoid contact with others. Don’t go to work, don’t take your children to school, and don’t go to the doctor’s clinic without telephoning ahead of time. Call ahead so they can have a special room set up for you. In that way, you won’t infect other ill people in the waiting room. You can ring 13HEALTH on 13 43 25 84. They’ll advise what to do next.
The good news is that the majority of the population in Australia is already vaccinated and protected because they had it as children. If one had the measles injection or if one had measles previously, one is highly unlikely to contract it again. But if someone doesn’t know if you have been vaccinated, now’s a good time to ask your doctor. Vaccination is the best way to prevent measles from spreading in the community.
News At Glance
- Students with Measles spent the whole day at Clover Hill State School on October 7.
- A contagious person took two school buses from Austinville to Austinville.
- Fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and spreading body rash are symptoms.
- Exposed individuals should monitor for symptoms within three weeks of October 7.
- Immunised individuals are extremely unlikely to contract measles despite exposure.
FAQs
- How soon after exposure do symptoms of measles appear?
Typically, 7 to 10 days following exposure, but possibly up to three weeks.
- How does measles spread from one person to another?
By coughing, sneezing, or contact with surfaces that an infected person handled.
- What do I do if I believe I have measles?
Remain at home, contact your doctor before your visit, and keep others away.
- Am I immune if I was vaccinated as a child?
Vaccinated individuals are extremely unlikely to contract measles even if exposed.
- Which school buses were exposed?
Tulipwood Drive, Bonogin to Austinville and Clover Hill School to Austinville on October 7.
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