Christchurch, New Zealand: Measles alert

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Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200806121933/1cbd8061


Outbreak of measles in Christchurch

Posted at 7:33pm on 12 Jun 2008

Parents are being urged to check whether their children's immunisations are up-to-date following an outbreak of measles in Christchurch.

Canterbury District Health Board says two children at a pre-school, which has not been named, have been diagnosed with measles in the past two weeks.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Alistair Humphrey says such an outbreak is very unusual.

Dr Humphrey says measles is highly infectious and can be very serious.

Parents of 21 children who have been in contact with the infected children are being advised to see their family doctor or after-hours medical centre for advice.

Dr Humphrey says the last outbreak in the region was a measles epidemic eight years ago.

Copyright © 2008 Radio New Zealand

 

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Re: Christchurch, NZ: Measles alert

Re: Christchurch, NZ: Measles alert

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4582670a6530.html

Measles outbreak hits Christchurch
By KAMALA HAYMAN - The Press | Friday, 13 June 2008

Health officials will meet this morning to discuss a measles outbreak at a Christchurch preschool.

Two toddlers, aged 14 months and 16 months, were both confirmed with the potentially lethal disease this week prompting immediate action by public health officers.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Alistair Humphrey said both toddlers were recovering well. ``They're fine now.''

Parents of 21 children who have been in contact with the two affected children were being contacted by health staff and offered immunisation advice. Officials were meeting again at 9am today.

Humphrey said individual cases of measles were not uncommon but it was ``very unusual'' to have two cases linked in time and place.

One of the infected toddlers had not been vaccinated against measles, the other had received the first of two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jabs, usually given at 15 months and four years of age.

Humphrey said the MMR vaccination was the best way for parents to protect their children against measles.

Nationally, only 82 per cent of children were fully vaccinated against measles, though Canterbury's rate was higher at 88%. Rates of 95% were required to prevent outbreaks.

Measles is a highly infectious disease that can spread through the air by breathing, coughing and sneezing. It can cause a rash, high fever, a runny nose and sore, watery eyes. It can lead to pneumonia, ear infections, brain damage and can occasionally be fatal.

Humphrey said many people had forgotten the potential severity of the illness. "In 1933 my grandmother came back to school after the holidays to find one-third of her class were dead from measles.

"Measles is not like chickenpox where pretty much everbody survives. It does kill people.''

The incubation period for the disease is seven to 18 days and people with the disease can be infectious for up to four days before the first symptoms occur.

No cases of measles were reported in Canterbury last year.