THE first outbreak of measles in the Far North in 11 years has sparked urgent warnings from health authorities.

Four unvaccinated high school students from Cairns and Kuranda, two girls and two boys aged between 12 and 15, have been diagnosed with the highly contagious disease in the past two weeks.

Although they did not need to be taken to hospital, Tropical Population Health Network medical director Dr Jeffrey Hanna yesterday said three of the students had been "pretty crook".

"It really knocked them for six - it really gave the parents a bit of a fright," Dr Hanna said.

He said there were concerns the students had spread the measles widely in the community.

The teens had used public buses, visited two of Cairns' biggest shopping centres, eaten at a large popular Cairns restaurant, and attended a swimming carnival and a large party in the Kuranda area.

"All these movements have provided lots of opportunities for the disease to spread to people who may have had no direct contact with the students," Dr Hanna said. "The virus is spread through coughing and sneezing but it remains in the air for a couple of hours after they've coughed it out."

Any unvaccinated people believed to have had contact with the students have been given shots of immunoglobulin - which can prevent the disease if it is given within a week of exposure.

Population health staff are also closely working with the three Cairns high schools which the students attend.

Although there have been isolated cases of overseas-contracted measles in Cairns in recent years, these are the first locally-acquired cases since the last outbreak in Cairns and the Tableland in 1997.

Dr Hanna said although he was certain more measles cases would emerge in the current outbreak, he did not expect an overwhelming number because of the high level of vaccination immunity in the population.

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