In 2025, Victoria has reported eight measles cases, which marks an increase from 15 cases in 2024 and 26 cases in 2023, following a significant decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australia's measles cases had previously dropped from over 280 in 2019 to just 38 between 2020 and 2022, with no cases reported in 2021 due to travel restrictions.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Tarun Weeramanthri has confirmed local transmission of measles in the community, following cases where individuals were infectious while visiting 19 locations in Bendigo and Melbourne.

The infected individuals frequented notable sites including the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Bendigo Hospital emergency departments, and various supermarkets and recreational venues.

This outbreak highlights that measles is spreading locally in Australia, particularly in metropolitan Melbourne, where two individuals contracted the disease without recent overseas travel.

Measles can be transmitted through airborne droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces, remaining infectious in the environment for up to two hours.

Infectious individuals can spread the measles virus from 24 hours before symptoms develop until four days after a rash appears.

Individuals born during or since 1966 who have not received two documented doses of the measles vaccine are at risk, with unvaccinated infants and vulnerable individuals facing higher risks of serious complications.

A similar alert was previously issued in Sydney after a person with measles visited multiple locations following a return from South-East Asia.

International outbreaks of measles have been reported in regions such as Asia, Africa, Europe, and the US, raising serious health concerns, including a recent death in Texas.

All Australians born in or after 1966 are eligible for free measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations, which are particularly recommended before international travel to areas with reported outbreaks.

Individuals who visited the exposure sites are advised to monitor for symptoms, which may include fever, cough, sore or red eyes, runny nose, and a subsequent red bumpy rash that can develop up to 18 days after exposure.