A precautionary advice for drinking water (water boil alert) was issued today for the Gunbalanya Community following the detection of the E.coli bacteria in the community's water supply.

A total of 408 hectares of Darwin swampland has been sprayed in the past week following the discovery of high numbers of salt marsh larvae during Department of Health surveys.

Links between influences in the early years of life and chronic conditions will be explored by experts at a conference in Darwin in September.

A decades-old  decision to create drains in Darwin's swamps has helped protect the health of residents by reducing the numbers of mosquitoes that can transmit serious diseases such as Murray Valley encephalitis.

Women aged between 50-69 years from the Palmerston area are being encouraged to book in for a free breast screen, with the latest round of screenings available until Friday, 20 April.

With Territorians heading out on camping and fishing trips in their droves this Easter weekend, the Centre for Disease Control is warning of the need to protect against mosquito-borne diseases.