Holidaymakers planning to head to the regions this Easter long weekend have been warned to cover up to avoid mosquito bites as Ross River virus cases surge, with more than 1,500 cases recorded in Queensland alone. Easter long weekend campers warned to cover up to avoid bites, with cases also recorded in NSW and Victoria.
Nine per cent of mosquito traps in Queensland, most of which were located in the state’s south-east, have tested positive for the virus, which causes swollen and painful joints, fever and rash.
The virus is spread from mosquitoes to humans but can’t be transmitted from person to person. People usually recover a few weeks after the initial infection but some can experience symptoms for months.
Dr Stephen Conaty from New South Wales Health said warm and wet conditions meant “significant numbers” of mosquitos were also expected in NSW over the next several weeks, particularly in the state’s north.
“Because of the complexity of how the virus is transmitted, it’s not always clear what the primary driver of infections are,” Frentiu said.
“Generally if we’ve got lots of virus transmission among hosts – usually marsupials, birds and livestock, which mosquitoes then bite and contract the virus themselves – then that tends to spill over into human transmission as well.”
Proximity to stagnant bodies of water where mosquitos breed also played a role, Frentiu said.
Rising temperatures due to global heating will cause a long-term increase in mosquito-borne virus infections.
“We’re going to get longer [mosquito] seasons,” she said. “They will be active for a lot longer in the year.”
Rising temperatures due to global heating will cause a long-term increase in mosquito-borne virus infections
Source
Image Source
