Mosquito-borne virus alert
Health authorities are warning of the serious risks of the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).
Anyone is potentially at risk of being bitten by mosquitoes and while most bites will only cause minor swelling and irritation, an infected mosquito can transmit potentially serious diseases, including from JEV.
Several cases have been identified in New South Wales, near the Victorian border, and in South Australia within the past month.
A Victorian man in his 60s has died.
There may be an increased risk of transmission near the border of Victoria and New South Wales, where both JEV infections in pigs have been identified and where the human suspected cases had spent time prior to becoming unwell.
People who work with or are in contact with pigs may also be at increased risk of infection.
Children aged under 5 years old and older people who are infected with JEV are at a higher risk of developing more severe illness, such as encephalitis.
What you can do
Take steps to significantly limit your exposure to mosquitoes, especially if planning to visit the Murray River area. You can do this by:
- wearing long, loose fitting clothes outdoors
- using effective mosquito repellents containing picaridin or DEET on all exposed skin
- limiting outdoor activity if lots of mosquitoes are about
- using ‘knockdown’ fly sprays and plug-in repellent devices indoors
- sleeping under mosquito nets treated with insecticides if you don’t have flywire screens on windows on your home or are sleeping in an untreated tent or out in the open
- using mosquito coils which can be effective in small outdoor areas.
A vaccination program targeting those most at risk will begin shortly.
For more information visit the Victorian health website.
