Health authorities have warned travellers on a flight from Melbourne to Adelaide to be alert for symptoms after a toddler has contracted measles.

The one-year-old from metropolitan Adelaide is currently in a stable condition in hospital after recently returning from overseas.

This is the first case of measles, which is a notifiable disease, in South Australia this year after a handful of cases were reported around the country. 

SA Health has advised people who are not fully immunised to measles and were on flight QF685 from Melbourne on Thursday, as well as at Adelaide Airport between 3:45pm and 4:45pm on Thursday, to watch out for symptoms.

People who were at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital emergency department between 10pm Thursday and 4am Friday were also asked to be mindful and to contact a doctor if they become ill.

The highly contagious disease starts with fever, cough, runny nose, sore eyes, followed by a rash which starts on the head and spreads down the body. 

So far Australia has reported 12 confirmed cases this year and 26 in 2023.

SA Health reminds travellers intending to go overseas to be fully protected against the disease with two doses of vaccination.