Tuesday 30 March 2010
With the possibility of more outdoor recreational activity during the upcoming Easter period, all NT visitors and residents are advised to cover up and protect themselves from mosquitoes that could carry seasonal Murray Valley encephalitis, a potentially fatal disease.
The warning is prompted by the recent widespread rains in the NT and northern WA, and the knowledge that the holiday period may see more people out of doors.
"Having knowledge of when mosquitoes are most active and being prepared with proper clothing and repellent is important" according to DHF Senior Medical Entomologist, Peter Whelan.
"Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) is transmitted by the common banded mosquito, Culex annulirostris, which bites after sundown, particularly in the first two hours of the night.
"About one person in 1000 bitten by infected mosquitoes will contract the disease, and, despite the best medical care, one in four of these will die from the infection," Mr Whelan warned.
Usual symptoms of MVE disease include severe headache, high fever, drowsiness, tremor and seizures-especially in young children-and in some cases the condition progresses to delirium and coma, leading to paralysis or brain damage.
While people most at risk of MVE are those with no prior exposure to the virus - including babies, young children, and tourists - cases have been reported in long-term residents. People experiencing the early symptoms of MVE should seek urgent medical attention.
While testing of the sentinel chickens at the Berrimah Veterinary Laboratories has not indicated that MVE virus activity has begun, human cases and sentinel chicken evidence of past activity suggests that March to July is the crucial period.
"Certainly the numbers of the common banded mosquito have risen in most areas of the NT over the last few weeks and they are expected to increase further over the next month," Peter Whelan said.
"Precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes should be taken throughout the NT, including Central Australia, until the end of July, when virus activity is expected to subside.
"The warning particularly applies to people visiting or living in rural areas and smaller communities within five kilometres of large coastal and sub-coastal flood plains and swamps and in seasonally flooded coastal and inland areas associated with creeks and rivers. People more at risk will include campers who visit parks and recreation areas where mosquitoes may be active."
Precautions include:
- avoid outdoor exposure at dusk and at night in risk areas, and in all areas of high mosquito activity
- ensure all insect screens are installed and mosquito-proof. Use mosquito nets and mosquito-proof tents at night when camping or in unscreened areas
- wear protective, light-coloured clothing with long sleeves, long trousers and socks between dusk and dawn
- use a protective repellent containing diethyl toluamide (DEET) or picaridin when outdoors in the evening and night in areas of mosquito activity.
"There is no need to avoid travel to the risk regions if normal mosquito self-protection is observed. Awareness of the disease and basic measures to avoid mosquito bites are the most important preventative measures," Mr Whelan advised.
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