Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Center for Disease Control Director Dr Vicki Krause explains why Territorians are currently more at-risk of contracting measles and mosquito-borne diseases

Transcript

Center for Disease Control Director Dr Vicki Krause explains why Territorians are currently more at-risk of contracting measles and mosquito-borne diseases · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We know that NT Health is reminding territories to protect
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: themselves from mossy bites, with numbers expected to increase in
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the top end. They say that there's a higher risk
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: of catching mosquito born diseases such as murray velli and
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: cephalitis and well other things at this point detected in
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  Speaker 1: Darwin Mozzi's earlier this month, as well as Japanese and
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  Speaker 1: careful ititis, I believe. So joining me on the line
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  Speaker 1: right now from the Center for Disease Control, the director
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: is doctor Vicki Kraus. Good morning to you, Oh, good morning.
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  Speaker 1: Great to have you on the show. Doctor Kraus, tell us,
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  Speaker 1: why are Mozzi numbers on the rise and what are
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: some of the risks?
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  Speaker 2: Well, be since that time of the year when we've
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  Speaker 2: had lots of rain and asmarine contracts and there's pubbling,
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  Speaker 2: there's more breeding, and so this whole period is just
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  Speaker 2: a timeline the MAZI numbers go up. So we just
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  Speaker 2: want people to be absolutely aware of that. The numbers
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  Speaker 2: in urban Darwin at the moment are not that high,
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  Speaker 2: but if you're around swamps and creeks and wetlands there,
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  Speaker 2: you'll know that the numbers are way up. There and
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  Speaker 2: throughout the territory they're they're the mosquito numbers are up
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  Speaker 2: and particularly down even Central Australia and Planet Creek. If
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  Speaker 2: you talk to people in Channon Creek, they'll tell you
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  Speaker 2: they just have to run in their house. So we
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  Speaker 2: just want people to be aware that this is our
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  Speaker 2: highsou these born mosquito seasons, and that people need to
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  Speaker 2: protect themselves, but they also have to be protecting their
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  Speaker 2: children and their young children who who can't protect themselves.
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  Speaker 2: So and as you mentioned, the two diseases were really
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  Speaker 2: concerned about their Marriedali and cphalitis and Japanese and cephalitis.
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  Speaker 1: Talk us through those and what some of the concerns
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  Speaker 1: are with both of those diseases.
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  Speaker 2: So the politest which is of the brain, so something
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  Speaker 2: to avoid something that can cause very serious ills and
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  Speaker 2: even death and can cause scholae or long term deficits
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  Speaker 2: because of acquiring and satellites. So again these are two
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  Speaker 2: diseases you want to avoid and you see that by
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  Speaker 2: trying to avoid being bitten by mosquitos. So it is
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  Speaker 2: really important that you try and not be out when
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  Speaker 2: the mosquitoes are out the belt, which is a dusk
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  Speaker 2: for that hour like after sunset and then at dawn,
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  Speaker 2: so before sunrise, and actually all through the night. So
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  Speaker 2: making sure that if you are going to be outside,
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  Speaker 2: you have the proper clothing on, so long sleeves and
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  Speaker 2: loose fitting and light colored, and that you're using insect
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  Speaker 2: repellants that would repel the mosquito, so deep containing or
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  Speaker 2: carridin or oil of eucalyptus containing insect repellants.
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  Speaker 1: I concern that people might be I guess a bit
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  Speaker 1: more vulnerable for that Easter period as well, given the
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: fact that we've all usually got a few days off,
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  Speaker 1: some people might choose to go out camping and do
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  Speaker 1: a little bit more in the way of outdoor activities.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, and as we say, it's it's actually January through
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  Speaker 2: June that's the high risk. But the really high rids
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  Speaker 2: is when you put the people in this you know together,
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  Speaker 2: which is what you're talking about. So when people are
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  Speaker 2: out and about camping and you know, being outside as
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  Speaker 2: they should be, you do have to take extra protection.
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  Speaker 2: Because we do know that the most cases that we've
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  Speaker 2: had have been between in the March and April time period,
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  Speaker 2: and we do know that people have at least four
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  Speaker 2: days off and often do go out and about, so
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  Speaker 2: it is really important if you're planning or camping or hiking,
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  Speaker 2: tip you know that you make sure that you have
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  Speaker 2: a feed of protection and avoid those blades.
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  Speaker 1: Now just tell us as well. I understand that there
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  Speaker 1: are some other other concerns and that Anty Health is
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  Speaker 1: also warning people about measles. What sparked these.
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  Speaker 2: Well. Measles is a very contagious viral infection and people
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  Speaker 2: usually think of measles maybe something of the past and
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  Speaker 2: something that you get your children vaccinated against them. We
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  Speaker 2: don't see much of, but particularly over the past three
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  Speaker 2: to four years, when people maybe haven't been getting out
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  Speaker 2: about to get their vaccines as as commonly as before,
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  Speaker 2: and often throughout the rest of the world, there's just
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  Speaker 2: been a real rise and who has also signaled that
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  Speaker 2: a rise in the world of meaesels cases. So if
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  Speaker 2: people are thinking they're going to be traveling overseas, it's
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  Speaker 2: really important that they know that they're measles immunes, that
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  Speaker 2: either they were born before nineteenth six we had natural
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  Speaker 2: community or from that time they've had two measles containing
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  Speaker 2: vaccines and for our kids, we know that they get
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  Speaker 2: it at twelve months and MMR measles months rebella, and
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  Speaker 2: then at eighteen months they get a measles month theirselves
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  Speaker 2: for chicken pox as well. So then if they they're
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  Speaker 2: up to date with their childhood immunizations, then they have
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  Speaker 2: that twelve month and eighteen month measles vaccine. But adults,
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  Speaker 2: they don't always to have their two vaccines. And so
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  Speaker 2: if you were born like in the you know, if
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  Speaker 2: you're under thirty five possibly have had two. But even
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  Speaker 2: between twenty five and thirty five year old should think
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  Speaker 2: about have I had a second vaccine because they weren't
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  Speaker 2: offered a second vaccine in school necessarily. So you need
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  Speaker 2: to check your immunization, get your immunization panency, or possibly
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  Speaker 2: call your mother and we'll find out if you've had
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  Speaker 2: your two measals containing vaccines, because if you haven't, you
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  Speaker 2: are at risk. So we do particularly adults need to
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  Speaker 2: check and see if they need that technique vaccine. And
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  Speaker 2: if you just don't know or can't remember, it is
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  Speaker 2: much safer to get that vaccine. There's not a problem
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  Speaker 2: if you would get an extra one, but you should
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  Speaker 2: try and check. But what we want to make sure
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  Speaker 2: is that you're immune to needles. It's a serious disease
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  Speaker 2: it is and cause complications, and particularly an adult tends
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  Speaker 2: to land them often in the hospital, so you want
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  Speaker 2: to avoid it.
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  Speaker 1: Vicky, I like that, call your mother and ask her
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  Speaker 1: whether you've been vaccinated or not.
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  Speaker 3: I can imagine harmon. My mum would be like, yes,
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  Speaker 3: you have been. But jeez, you'd have to be thinking
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  Speaker 3: back a few years, wouldn't you. For some of the
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  Speaker 3: parents out there listening this morning thinking yes, I'm sure
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  Speaker 3: my children were vaccinated against the mass Well, there.
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  Speaker 2: Aten the ones that have the little book you know
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  Speaker 2: that has it documented. But we all should have our
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  Speaker 2: own little book and or have your But you can
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  Speaker 2: go to my guve if you're under twenty five, it
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  Speaker 2: probably will be there. But keeping your own copy of
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  Speaker 2: your vaccine schedule is always a good idea.
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  Speaker 1: And VICKI just on that, I know you touched on
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  Speaker 1: the fact that obviously over in the USI and Europe
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  Speaker 1: they have indeed had measles outbreaks. Have we had any
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  Speaker 1: cases here in the territory, Well.
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  Speaker 2: We haven't had any cases since twenty nineteen, so right
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  Speaker 2: before COVID and all the travel shut down, So we've
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  Speaker 2: been very lucky it's been three years, but possibly you
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  Speaker 2: just read last week that South Australia was in the
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  Speaker 2: same situation, hadn't had a case since twenty nineteen, but
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  Speaker 2: they just had a case last week. So while people
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  Speaker 2: are out traveling, going further afield, going in our global region,
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  Speaker 2: you know you're at risk. It's a very contagious disease.
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  Speaker 2: You just have to walk by someone in the mall
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  Speaker 2: or you know, next to them for a minute somewhere.
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  Speaker 2: And this is one of those very sneaky diseases that
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  Speaker 2: the year, the day, the day before you get unwell,
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  Speaker 2: you are already infectious, so you don't necessarily know you
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: would be passing it on. Yeah, it is a deuse
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  Speaker 2: that presents with you know, just fever, headache, cough, red eyes,
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  Speaker 2: and then a few days later, two, three, four days
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  Speaker 2: later you get this rash that starts on your face
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  Speaker 2: and down the body. So you want to avoid that
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  Speaker 2: and avoid the one third of people who go on
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  Speaker 2: to get complications as I said, like pneumonia and possibly
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  Speaker 2: needs to postitalize.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, well yeah, well doctor Vicky Kraus, the Center
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  Speaker 1: for Disease Controlled Director, we always appreciate your time. Thank
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  Speaker 1: you so much for having a chat with us this morning.
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  Speaker 2: You're very welcome.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: Thank you