Kimberley residents warned of increased mosquito-borne disease risk

Shire environmental health staff continue their wet season mosquito monitoring program.

This includes managing the sentinel chicken program, checking and treating (where appropriate) known mosquito breeding sites and adult mosquito trapping to assess abundance of disease-carrying species.

 

The Department of Health is warning residents and travellers in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions to take additional precautions to avoid mosquito bites, following the first evidence of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) and Kunjin virus activity this season.

 

While no human cases of MVE or Kunjin have been reported this year, evidence of virus activity has been detected through the Department of Health’s sentinel chicken surveillance program.

 

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