Victoria’s deputy chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton said there had been three confirmed measles cases in Melbourne, including a baby boy who was too young to be vaccinated against the highly contagious disease.

The woman who travelled to Ballarat, and the baby boy are not related but Dr Sutton said the two had been in similar locations and had most likely caught the infection from another unconfirmed case. The woman had also travelled overseas recently.

“They have been in the general vicinity, in similar places, and it’s our suspicion because one hasn’t travelled at all internationally that they might have been exposed to another individual who hasn’t been identified with measles.”

The third case, a man, caught measles when he was in Romania where there is a major outbreak of more than 30,000 measles cases.

All three patients are stable in hospital.

Dr Sutton said the woman and baby were infectious while at a number of places across Melbourne from September 6 to 13 including Metro trains and stations from Armadale to Southern Cross, Collins St, Chadstone Shopping Centre, Ikea Richmond, and Federation Uni.

Health department officials are contacting all attendees from the mining conference and Craig’s Hotel dinner.

They are also contacting everyone who had been on flight QR222 from Romania (Bucharest) on September 12 via Doha, Qatar, who arrived in Melbourne on September 13 on flight QR904. 

Measles symptoms include a cough, runny nose, red eyes, fever and rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body. 

“If those symptoms are present or you are unaware of your immunisation status or unvaccinated you need to call ahead to the emergency department or GP and make sure you wear a mask while being assessed so you do not put others at risk,” Dr Sutton said.