ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff
Travellers on an international and domestice flight are being urged to check if they are close contacts of a new measles case in Taranaki. (File photo)
Travellers who may have come into contact with the Taranaki measles case on an international or domestic flight are being urged to make sure they haven’t contracted the virus.
Te Whatu Ora confirmed on Thursday that a positive case of measles had been located in Taranaki. It’s the 13th case of measles nationally in 2023.
The person had contracted the virus overseas, and
was infectious while on board Air New Zealand flight NZ29 from Houston, Texas, to Auckland and on arrival at Auckland International Airport at approximately 5.30am on October 30.
They also took the shuttle bus between the international and domestic terminals and boarded an Air New Zealand connecting flight NZ5035, arriving in New Plymouth around 8.55am on the same day.
People who travelled on those two flights and sat in seats near the infectious person were considered at particularly high risk, and were urged to contact Healthline if they met the criteria outlined in the locations of interest information.
STUFF
Health authorities are concerned Aotearoa New Zealand is at risk from another disease: Measles. (Video first published February 2023)
Any non-immune close contacts from the flights were urged to quarantine until Sunday, November 5 for the international flight, and Monday, November 6 for the domestic flight.
While most close contacts of the case from the flights had already been contacted, the National Public Health Service’s interim clinical lead Dr William Rainger said there were people they hadn’t been able to reach and they were keen to do so.
“This is so we can ensure that close contacts who need to quarantine are provided with the information and support they need – and to ensure that any infection doesn’t spread further,” Rainger said.
“Young babies, pregnant people and people with conditions that affect their immune system can become very unwell with measles.
“If you are a close contact in any of these groups, please get in touch with Healthline on 0800 611 116 as soon as possible so that further free advice and public health support can be provided.”
A list of locations of interest were posted on Te Whatu Ora’s website.
