The Travel Doctor
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Measles brought home from World Cup
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A 24-year-old male in Darwin has been confirmed to have measles. He had travelled to South Africa for the World Cup and had not been in any other country. He did not seek pre-travel medical advice, but “had been immunised as a child” – we do not know if this means he had one only vaccination instead of the two required (one in infancy and a booster in early adolescence).
The time sequence of the development of symptoms means that the disease was acquired in South Africa. There is a large current outbreak of measles in South Africa and he could have caught the infection in any crowded area including the World Cup matches he attended.
Various health websites including this one had advised travellers to the World Cup to have medical advice before travel and to check immune status. This case suggests the appropriateness of such general advice.
