There are renewed warnings to be cautious when travelling to areas prone to Japanese Encephalitis after a case was identified in a man who went camping in southern NSW.
NSW Health’s Executive Director of Health Protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty said he most likely caught the infection in late December or early January while camping in the Murrumbidgee region.
The man is currently recovering from the illness in hospital.
“This case, along with recent detections in pigs and mosquitoes in NSW and detections in Victoria and Queensland, highlights the risk of JE virus infection in a large stretch of NSW west of the Great Dividing Range,” McAnulty said.
“It is very important for people who live in or travel to these areas to be aware of the elevated risk and to take precautions against mosquito bites.
“In addition to JE virus, Murray Valley Encephalitis, Kunjin, Ross River, and Barmah Forest viruses can also be spread by mosquito bites.
Japanese Encephalitis is a deadly mosquito-born disease, with the first case detected in NSW in 2022.
According to NSW Health, It is spread when a mosquito bites an animal that has the Japanese encephalitis virus and then the mosquito bites a human.
It cannot be transmitted between humans and can’t be caught by eating pork products.
Symptoms can appear five to 15 days after being bit by an infected mosquito including a fever, headache and vomiting.
“Importantly, there is a safe, effective and free vaccine to protect against JE which is available to anyone who lives or routinely works in various inland LGAs as well as for people who work in some other high-risk occupations,” McAnulty said.
Health experts also recommend taking preventative measures like wearing insect repellents, wearing long clothing and removing any puddles of water that act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
