Grey nomads are being urged to guard against mosquito bites over the next few months, with growing concerns over the risk of contracting the insect-borne Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus.
In a special warning, medical travel service Travelvax has singled out grey nomads, campers and visitors to bush areas as widespread as south-eastern Australia, tropical Queensland and south-western Western Australia as being at particular risk.
The National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System reports that so far this year there have been 3500 cases of Ross River (4684 cases in 2012) around Australia. There has been a big increase in Barmah Forest virus, with 3465 cases (1722 cases in 2012).
The viruses are not fatal, but there are no specific treatments or vaccines.
Symptoms can be severe and prolonged, including painful and swollen joints, sore muscles, skin rashes, fever, tiredness, headaches and swollen lymph nodes.
Travelvax says the migration and spread of the disease-carrying mosquitoes could be linked to global warming and climate change.
And Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses are now commonly reported from southern states.
”In fact, outbreaks are increasingly occurring on the fringes of cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Perth,’ mosquito specialist, Cameron Webb, an entomologist based at the University of Sydney, told the Border Mail newspaper. ”If there is a take-home message for travellers, it is that they should use a repellent with DEET or Picaridin.”
Perth is expecting a spring surge of Ross River virus, with 31 people contracting it in the metro area and eight in the fringes in the month to August 19. Sydney, with forecasts of warm weather and above-average rainfall for the next three months, may also have a surge in mozzies.
Dengue fever, with similar symptoms to Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses, is another mosquito-borne danger, present north of Townsville.
How do you guard against mozzies? Do you think of the buzzing invaders as just a nuisance … or as a health risk? Where is the worst place you have ever been for mozzies? Comment below.
My husband and I have travelled up to north queensland a few times now and mozzies never bother me. My husband on the other hand is riddled with bites the mozzies are like moths to the light he is always being bitten despite multiple repelants. We can stand in the same spot together and I don’t get bitten he however is covered in spots. He does sweat a lot so I think it is the sweat that gives the attraction. How does one get rid of sweat glands? I thought it was blood groups but now I am convinced it is sweat.