General News
8 February, 2025
Stay alert for measles, mosquito bites
Health authorities are warning Wimmera Mallee residents to stay alert for two unrelated contagious diseases.
Horsham Rural City and the shires of Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack, West Wimmera, Northern Grampians and Buloke are among 24 local government areas considered "high risk" for Japanese encephalitis, the state government has warned.
The virus that causes the disease has been found in mosquitoes in two traps in Moira Shire (which includes the towns of Cobram, Nathalia, Numurkah, Tungamah and Yarrawonga on the Victorian side of the Murray River).
Chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri said on Wednesday that the early-warning-system detections were the first this year in Victoria, although the disease had been confirmed in a human patient in December.
“Japanese encephalitis virus can cause a rare but potentially serious infection of the brain and is spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes,” Dr Weeramanthri said.
“If you’re visiting northern Victoria, particularly inland riverine regions and near the Murray River, you’re potentially at higher risk of infection."
He said that as there was no specific treatment for Japanese encephalitis, the best approach was to protect against bites by covering exposed skin, using insect repellent and limiting time spent outdoors when mosquitos were active.
Dr Weeramanthri also announced on Friday that two new cases of measles had been reported in Melbourne.
Both are linked to recent travel to Vietnam.
Without realising that they were infectious, the patients moved around businesses and sporting facilities in East Melbourne, Collingwood, Abbotsford and Bentleigh between Monday January 13 and Thursday January 16.
Anyone who was visiting Melbourne at that time and thinks they might have crossed paths with either carrier is urged to watch for symptoms including a fever and a rash, and to contact their GP immediately if they become sick.
For travellers intending to visit South East Asia, including Thailand and Vietnam, a free measles-mumps-rubella vaccination is recommended.