LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff
Dr Maria Poynter of the Auckland Regional Public Health Service advises what to do if you suspect you may have contracted measles.
Another Aucklander has come down with measles, bringing the total number of cases in the region to 127.
Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) announced the new case on Tuesday afternoon.
The Auckland region is experiencing an outbreak of the highly infectious and potentially life-threatening viral illness.
STACY SQUIRES/STUFF
The number of measles cases in Auckland has hit 127, more than half of the total number of cases for the country.
ESR data released on Tuesday morning showed Auckland was the only region in the country to see new measles cases last week.
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There had been at least 221 confirmed cases of measles across the country so far this year, ESR’s most recent surveillance report showed.
South Auckland (Counties Manukau DHB) had seen the highest number of cases in the country three weeks in a row.
Waitematā DHB (north and west Auckland) had seen the highest number of cases in the country this year so far, followed by Counties Manukau.
COUNTIES MANUKAU HEALTH
Counties Manukau Health staff talk about the importance of getting immunised against measles.
About one in 10 people with measles typically required hospital treatment, but figures from ESR showed 43 per cent of cases so far this year have ended up in hospital.
Thirty per cent of cases will develop complications.
Those include ear infections which can cause permanent hearing loss, diarrhoea, pneumonia, seizures, and in rare cases, swelling on the brain.
The symptoms of measles include a fever, cough, runny nose and sore red eyes.
Measles is almost entirely preventable through two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
After one dose, 95 per cent of people are protected from measles. After two doses, more than 99 per cent are protected.
So far this year, 148 of the 221 confirmed cases (66 per cent) were in people who were not vaccinated.
For more information, phone Healthline on 0800 611 116 or visit the ARPHS or the Ministry of Health websites.
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