Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Mozzies are causing havoc again...NT Health's Nina Kurucz tells us everything we need to know about Murray Valley encephalitis virus

Transcript

Mozzies are causing havoc again...NT Health's Nina Kurucz tells us everything we need to know about Murray Valley encephalitis virus · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Top end residents and visitors are being reminded to protect
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: themselves from mosquito bites following evidence of Murray Valley and
• 0:07
  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
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: should be aware of is the director of Medical Entomology
• 0:16
  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.
• 0:27
  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,
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: during the night and early in the morning.
• 0:52
  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
• 0:59
  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
• 1:43
  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.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you