WA has recorded its first case of encephalitis caused by a mosquito-borne flavivirus for 2024 after an adult was exposed in the Pilbara region.
The adult is likely to have Murray Valley encephalitis after they were bitten by infected mosquitoes in the Pilbara region.
Department of Health scientist Andrew Jardine urged local community members and travellers to be on alert for mosquito bites across northern WA.
“MVE can be deadly and we are currently seeing ongoing activity across the Pilbara and Kimberley regions,” Dr Jardine said.
“As a community, keep one another informed. Chat with anyone living at your home, or your next-door neighbours, to ensure they know what can be done to protect against mozzies.”
Steps to prevent mosquito bites include avoiding being outdoors at dawn and early evening, wearing loose-fitting, long, and light-coloured clothing, wearing insect repellent, having insect screens, and closing doors.
Initial symptoms of MVE include fever, drowsiness, headache, stiff neck, nausea, and dizziness. In young children, fever might be the only early sign of infection.
Anyone with these symptoms, particularly following a mosquito bite, should seek medical advice.
The case comes the same day the Department of Health warned there was a surge in dengue fever cases in WA.
Most of the cases were acquired in Indonesia, which has already reported 60,000 cases in 2024.