Measles
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Fact sheet - Health conditions directory.
Measles is an acute, highly infectious illness caused by the measles virus. Measles can cause serious complications such as pneumonia (lung infection) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). It may also cause middle ear infection. Measles should not be regarded as a simple mild disease. Deaths occur mainly in children under five years of age, primarily from pneumonia, and occasionally from encephalitis. Complications are more common and more severe in people with a chronic illness and very young children.
Public health management guidelines
Notification
Pathology laboratories
- Notification criteria for pathology laboratories (PDF, 55kB)
- Communications (notification procedure)
Attending medical practitioners/medical superintendents (or delegates)
To immediately notify the Public Health Unit of suspected, probable or confirmed cases of measles by telephone or fax.
- Case definition
- Communications (notification procedure)
Notification resources
- List of all Pathological, clinical and provisional diagnosis notifiable conditions
- List of Public Health Unit contacts
- Notifuable conditions report form for Queensland doctors/clinicians (PHA S70) or person in charge of a Hospital (PHA S71) (PDF, 77KB) - if faxing notification, follow up by phone.
Enhanced surveillance for public health units
- Case report form (PDF, 327KB) - used by public health units to collect and manage more detailed information for enhanced case surveillance.
- Supplementary form (PDF, 254KB) - used by public health units to collect and manage more detailed information for secondary measles case enhanced surveillance.
Clinical guidelines
- Flowchart (PDF, 83kB) - quick reference chart for immediate management of measles.
Resources for health professionals
Immunisation
- Immunisation – Queensland Health website for health professionals.
- Australian immunisation handbook - provides clinical guidelines for health professionals on the safest and most effective use of vaccines in their practice.
Training
- Measles recognition and public health management – presentation by Dr Brad McCall and Dr Michael Nissen.
Related information
- Download Emergency departments measles alert (PDF, 299kB)
- Download Emergency departments measles poster (PDF, 225kB)
- Download General practitioners measles alert (PDF, 361kB)
- Download Pathology services measles alert (PDF, 309kB)
- Download Pathology services measles poster (PDF, 223kB)
Epidemiological data and reports
Last updated: 5 June 2023
