SA Health finds new measles case

A 12-year-old Adelaide girl has contracted measles while on holiday in Bali, prompting a warning from SA health for South Australians to watch for symptoms and check their immunisation status.

SA Health says the girl attended Ardtornish Primary School in St Agnes and Modbury High School between Monday, November 30 and Friday, December 4, before she was identified with the highly contagious illness.

Measles is spread through coughing and sneezing.

It starts with a fever, a cough, a runny nose and sore eyes and is followed by a blotchy rash that spreads from the head down the body.

Chief public health officer Paddy Phillips says its complications can be severe or fatal.

He urged anyone who visited either school last week to be alert for symptoms and phone their GP to advise them before any visit to the doctor.

Anyone who has not had two doses of the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine should visit their GP or council immunisation clinic.

There were 16 measles cases in SA in 2014 but this is only the second case this year.