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Speaker 1: Top end residents and visitors are being reminded to protect

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Speaker 1: themselves from mosquito bites following evidence of Murray Valley and

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Speaker 1: cphalitis activity in the Darwin and Catherine regions. Now joining

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Speaker 1: me on the line to let us know what we

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Speaker 1: should be aware of is the director of Medical Entomology

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Speaker 1: with Anti Health, Nina Kurtz. Good morning to you, Nina.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, good morning, Katie.

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Speaker 1: Nina. What exactly is Murray Valley encephalitis.

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Speaker 2: Murray valiancephalitis also known as MVE is an inflammation of

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Speaker 2: the brain, so it is rather serious and the mosquitoes

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Speaker 2: are still around in high numbers that can transmit MVE.

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Speaker 2: So we're just asking people again as we usually do

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Speaker 2: this time of the year, to cover up you the

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Speaker 2: mosquito repellent to not get bitten, and that's especially after sundown,

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Speaker 2: during the night and early in the morning.

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Speaker 1: Nina, do we usually see more maisies about, you know,

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Speaker 1: when it's sort of wetter weather or when do we

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Speaker 1: see the most have done?

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Speaker 2: So the ones that can transmit MVE, they first come

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Speaker 2: out after the monsoonal rains, but then this time of

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Speaker 2: the year as well, and that is because all of

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Speaker 2: the wetlands are drying up, and then you are left

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Speaker 2: with these isolated pools of water and they don't have

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Speaker 2: a lot of biocontrol, so fish or other insects that

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Speaker 2: might feed on the mosquito larvae. So therefore those isolated

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Speaker 2: pools breed a lot of those mosquitoes that can transmit

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Speaker 2: the virus. So therefore people still have to be careful.

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Speaker 2: And usually the high risk for MVE is from January

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Speaker 2: to the end of June July, depending how quickly things

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Speaker 2: dry up. But we know from our surveillance that we

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Speaker 2: do every week for adult mosquitos that these mosquitoes are

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Speaker 2: on the rise at the moment, people need to be careful.

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Speaker 1: Now, how does how does it sort of differ from

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Speaker 1: other other mozzi diseases or diseases that we can catch

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Speaker 1: from mosquitoes. I guess this is the right way to

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Speaker 1: say it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, in Australia, and the unfortunately is one of the

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Speaker 2: ones that can be fatal. So since ninety seventy four

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Speaker 2: when we started surveillance, there have been seven deaths. Unfortunately.

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Speaker 2: We also know that a high number of people who

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Speaker 2: get the disease do not fully recover because it affects

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Speaker 2: the nervous system. We're all up. Since seventy four, we

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Speaker 2: had a total of thirty eight cases, which is not

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Speaker 2: that many, but unfortunately it can be fatal and it

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Speaker 2: is very serious.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, goodness, may it does sound as though it's incredibly serious.

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Speaker 1: How do we make sure that you know that we

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Speaker 1: protect ourselves?

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Speaker 2: So the best way is these mosquitos, as I said,

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Speaker 2: are active after sundown, So if you can avoid any

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Speaker 2: sort of wetland areas during that time at night, that's great.

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Speaker 2: But otherwise just put on the long sleeved shirts and pants,

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Speaker 2: preferably light colors because mosquitos are attracted to dark colors,

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Speaker 2: and then use the insect repellents, and the ones recommended

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Speaker 2: are the ones that contain the deed or picarried in.

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Speaker 2: But now there's also one out that contains what's called

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Speaker 2: p MD, which is an extract of lemon eucalyptus, So

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Speaker 2: it's not just any eucalypt oil, but it needs to

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Speaker 2: pe MD in it and be sold as a mosquito

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Speaker 2: repellent to work, So use those ones. Make sure your

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Speaker 2: kids and infants are also protected. There is thermal cells

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Speaker 2: and other devices that can be purchased a normal supervakis

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Speaker 2: or hardware stores that also provide protection.

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Speaker 1: Nina, if you are unlucky enough to contract murray velli

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Speaker 1: and cephalatis, what are the signs?

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Speaker 2: How do you know? Yeah? So, the signs of symptoms

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Speaker 2: include severe headache, fever, also nausea, vomiting can include muscle

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Speaker 2: eggs and then the whole thing unfortunately, can progress to

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Speaker 2: drowsiness and especially in young children, also confusions, seizures and

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Speaker 2: fits and in severe cases it can lead to delirium

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Speaker 2: and coma and if I mentioned, it can be fatal.

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Speaker 2: So again, just cover up, stay away from wetland areas

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Speaker 2: after dark or after sundown, and enjoy the outdoors because

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Speaker 2: it's great out there at the moment.

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Speaker 1: Nina, we really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you

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Speaker 1: so much for having a chat with us.

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Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you