Measles outbreak: Europe travel health warning as tourist catches 'highly infectious disease' on holiday and brings it home

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A travel health warning has been issued after a tourist became infected with measles on holiday in Europe and brought it back home

A travel health warning has been issued to UK holidaymakers after a tourist travelling across Europe caught measles and brought it back home with them. The traveller, from the US, came to Europe on a holiday and passed through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport between May 10 and 11. 

When they arrived back in the USA, they were found to have been carrying the disease. Health officials are now warning those who believe they may have come into contact with the infected individual to check if they’ve been vaccinated, or if they've had measles previously. 

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Experts previously warned those travelling abroad to ensure they were fully vaccinated following an alarming increase in the number of people catching serious diseases overseas and bringing them home. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found almost 900 cases of the virus have been recorded in 2024 so far, compared with 368 cases recorded 2023, meaning England has seen more cases of the disease in the first four months of this year, than in the whole of last year.

Holidaymakers must make sure they’re fully up to date with all routine NHS vaccinations, as well as any necessary additional vaccines for the regions they are visiting. Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: "Nobody wants to get stricken down with sickness on their holidays or when travelling far away from home and it can be especially stressful and worrying if your child gets ill - sadly this does happen, but for many serious illnesses it is preventable. 

“That's why it's so important if you're going on holidays overseas to be sure that you and all your family, especially young children, are up to date with all routine NHS vaccines well before you travel, in particular both MMR vaccines. Measles is one of the most highly infectious diseases and some countries are currently seeing very large outbreaks. There is also the risk of returning home and spreading measles to unvaccinated family and friends, with infants and pregnant women at high risk of serious illness or life-long complications."

A travel health warning has been issued after a tourist became infected with measles on holiday in Europe and brought it back home. (Photo: weerapat1003 - stock.adobe.com)A travel health warning has been issued after a tourist became infected with measles on holiday in Europe and brought it back home. (Photo: weerapat1003 - stock.adobe.com)
A travel health warning has been issued after a tourist became infected with measles on holiday in Europe and brought it back home. (Photo: weerapat1003 - stock.adobe.com) | weerapat1003 - stock.adobe.com

The World Health Organization points to under-vaccination rates around the world for the growing measles crisis. There are fears that unvaccinated travellers will bring diseases like measles back into the UK from other countries putting other unprotected members of their community at risk.

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The warning also comes after a health warning was issued for popular holiday destination Tenerife as the Ministry of Health confirmed a measles outbreak. According to Canarian Weekly, the measles outbreak is affecting four people so far but it has the ability to spread rapidly.

The first case was a young girl who had not been vaccinated. Two other cases are infants who had not yet reached the age for their first dose of the vaccine and the other is a young adult who experienced a milder form of the disease as they have been vaccinated. 

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection. Listed below are the initial symptoms of measles.

  • a high temperature (fever);
  • a runny or blocked nose;
  • sneezing;
  • a cough;
  • sore, red eyes that may be sensitive to light;
  • a few days later, a red-brown blotchy rash will appear. This may start on the head or upper neck, before spreading outwards to the rest of the body.

Most childhood rashes are not measles but you should consult your GP without delay if you suspect it is measles, symptoms worsen, temperature increases to above 38°C or temperature stays high after other symptoms have gone. It is important to seek medical attention promptly if measles is suspected, as complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis, and severe dehydration.

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