Health Ministry alerting public on a single travel-related case of measles from the Philippines

The Ministry of Health says they are alerting the public about a single travel-related case of measles from the Philippines.

The Ministry says a 35-year-old female travelled from the Philippines arriving into Nadi Airport on FJ360 via Singapore on 9th of February 2020.

They say she was well during the health screening at Nadi Airport but developed symptoms of measles the day after arrival adding the patient later tested positive for measles.

The Ministry says based on the onset of her symptoms, and with the knowledge that the Philippines has an ongoing outbreak of measles, it is clear that she became infected with measles in the Philippines and not in Fiji.

It says while infectious, the patient was also at Tappoo City and MHCC on the 10th of this month and at Cost U Less and Damodar City on the 11th of this month.

They add the above locations do not pose an ongoing risk beyond the specific dates they were visited by the confirmed case.

However the Ministry says people who were at these locations at the noted times should look out for symptoms of measles until 29th of February adding it can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear following exposure to a person with measles.

It adds the patient and her husband and child who have no symptoms have been placed on home isolation in Suva.

The Ministry is doing daily follow up for the family and contact tracing are currently underway by the health team, though family members had already been vaccinated.

They are also contacting passengers on flight FJ360 which arrived into Nadi at 11.34am on the 9th of this month from Singapore.

The Ministry is advising passengers on this flight, and anyone in the Nadi Airport arrivals 11.34am to 1.34pm on February 9th, should watch for symptoms of measles.

Meanwhile, the Ministry says Fiji’s last locally transmitted case of measles was on January 6th 2020 - bringing to a total of 28 cases for the outbreak that began on November 7th 2019.

They say as a result of the recent mass vaccination campaign in response to the outbreak that began November 7th 2019, measles vaccination coverage is greater than  95 percent for 6 months to 5-year-olds and 19-39-year-olds in Fiji

People who were on FJ360 from Singapore to Nadi on February 9th, or in one of the locations listed on those specific dates can call

Central Division on 2219905, Eastern Division on 2219906, Western Division on 2219907 and Northern Division on 2219908.