The NT Department of Health and Community Services (DHCS) has issued a warning for the potentially fatal Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus disease, and Kunjin virus disease for the Top End of the NT, including the Katherine region, from now until the end of June.

The warning comes after the recent fatal case of MVE contracted in Kununurra, WA during late April this year.

Historically, March to June is the peak period for MVE and Kunjin virus disease activity across the Top End. This year the NT sentinel chickens recorded MVE activity at Beatrice Hill during April and Nathan River in March. Kunjin virus was also recorded at Beatrice Hill during April and in Leanyer Swamp and Jabiru area in March.

Usual symptoms of MVE virus disease include severe headache, drowsiness, high fever, tremor and seizures. In more serious cases this can progress to delirium or coma causing paralysis and brain damage with a 25 percent mortality rate. Kunjin virus disease is milder and usual symptoms are a fever and sever headache.

While an average of just one in 1000 people who get bitten by infected mosquitoes contract the diseases in the NT, people who do experience these early symptoms should seek urgent medical attention.

Senior Medical Entomologist Peter Whelan says the MVE positive chickens along with the human case in northwest Western Australia indicates that the mosquito-borne Murray Valley encephalitis virus activity is likely to be widespread across the Top End and north-west WA.

"We advise people to take extra precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes until the end of June when virus activity is expected to return to a minimum.

"This applies particularly to people visiting or camping in rural areas or parks, or living in rural or urban areas within five kilometers of wetlands and river and creek systems in the Top End and north-west WA - especially at night.

"People most at risk are those with no prior exposure to these viruses including babies, young children, tourists or people from southern Australia.

"There's no need to avoid travel to the wetland risk regions if normal mosquito self-protection is observed," Mr Whelan says.

Precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes include:

Avoid outdoor exposure from dusk and at night in risk areas and all areas of high mosquito activity.
Install mosquito-proof insect screens and use mosquito nets and mosquito-proof tents at night in all areas 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 di-ethyl toluamide (DEET) or picaridin as a supplement to protective clothing when outdoors at night in areas of mosquito activity, or when mosquitoes are active in the day. The most effective and long-lasting formulations are those in lotions or gels. Most natural or organic repellents are not as effective as DEET or picaridin.
Protect children adequately against mosquito bites.
Empty all artificial receptacles that collect rainwater to make them unsuitable for mosquito breeding.

Media Contact: Lorraine Hook, 0401 116 203

Release date: 2 May 2008

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