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Health authorities have issued a public health alert following a confirmed human case of Japanese encephalitis in Queensland. The person had travelled recently in southern Queensland and is being treated in a Brisbane hospital.
Japanese encephalitis virus has also been found recently in pigs on farms in New South Wales.
People in Queensland and New South Wales are advised to avoid mosquito bites.
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne virus which affects the central nervous system. It most common around areas of rice and pig farming. JEV is transmitted from animals (mainly pigs/birds) to humans through the bite of an infected Culex mosquito which feeds in the hours around dusk. No human-to human transmission occurs.
All travellers to endemic countries or outbreak areas are potentially at risk of infection. This risk is greatest for those:
All travellers should be advised on:
Travellers at increased risk of developing severe clinical disease are those:
For most travellers the risk of acquiring infection will be very small, but consider vaccinating those:
For further information, see the Japanese Encephalitis page