A case of measles has been discovered in Auckland, prompting health authorities to begin contacting patients who may have been exposed to the highly contagious disease.
On Thursday, the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) warned that it had been notified of an individual with measles who attended the Clendon Medical Centre on three occasions between Feburary 19 and 21. The individual was then assessed at the Middlemore Hospital emergency department on the evening of February 21. The health authority is now contacting other patients who may have been exposed to the highly contagious disease at the medical centre or Middlemore Hospital. "We will be contacting people who have been in the proximity of the case [and] asking anyone who has been in these two locations on these days to be aware of the symptoms. They should phone their doctor or call Healthline on 0800 611-116 for advice," said medical officer of health Dr Jay Harrower. "If you feel unwell, please don't just turn up. It is important to call first, because measles is highly infectious and you could infect others in the waiting room," he said.
Dr Harrower said the infected individual caught the illness overseas, but was not infectious on the flight into New Zealand and had not been to any other public places. It was also not connected to recent measles cases in Otago and Canterbury. He advised anyone travelling overseas to be up to date with their vaccinations, especially infants aged between six and 15 months travelling to countries where there is a measles outbreak. "Measles is a serious illness. One in 10 people with measles need hospital treatment and the most serious cases can result in deafness or swelling of the brain. "Measles is one of the most infectious airborne diseases and a person is contagious before the rash appears. It is very easily transmitted from one person to another, possibly by being in a room where an infected person has been," Dr Harrower said.
Measles usually begins with a high fever, runny nose, cough and sore red eyes, followed by a rash starting behind the ears and spreading to the body a few days later. But symptoms often won't show for 10-14 days after the person becomes infected.
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Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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