Mosquito warning for Kimberley region

Published on 28 May 2020

With the relaxing of travel restrictions and gatherings of up to 20 people now permitted, the upcoming long weekend will see many Broome locals heading out bush for a long weekend away camping, fishing and enjoying the great outdoors.

However, the Shire of Broome is urging people to be vigilant for mosquitoes and actively take steps to avoid being bitten by them.

There are no specific vaccines or cures for mosquito-borne viruses, so prevention is vitally important. 

Cover up with long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing, use a repellent containing DEET or picaridin, and remove standing water sources from your yard. Protect children and be particularly careful around dawn and dusk.

Environmental health officers in north west local governments continue to monitor the sentinel chicken flocks and detections of Murray Valley Encephalitis in several flocks in the Kimberley and Pilbara have recently occurred.

Notifications of Ross River Virus continue to be received by the Shire’s environmental health staff.

For more information, read the WA Department of Health media release here(PDF, 151KB) or click here.