NSW Health Minister, John Hatzistergos, says there is a risk of mosquitoes transferring infections such as Ross River Virus and the related Barmah Forest Virus.

In 2006 there were more than 1100 reported Ross River cases and 600 Barmah Forest cases in NSW alone. “We have hundreds of cases reported each year, mainly from December through to May and it is likely that many more cases go unreported,” he said.

Mosquito breeding grounds include coastal estuaries, areas near rivers, dams and lakes, as well as around the home near pools and containers of water.

Preventative measures include:

• Covering up with long sleeves, pants and socks, and using insect repellents to protect exposed  skin.  (The best repellents contain the chemicals DEET or picaridin)
• Ensure there are no pools of water where mosquitoes can breed.
• Make sure all doors and windows are fitted with flyscreens
• When camping, ensure your accommodation, including tents has flyscreening in good condition.

Mr Hatzistergos also warned the community to be on the lookout for ticks when out in the bush or garden.  Ticks are found in moist, humid bush areas.   There are many species of ticks in Australia with the most common tick to bit humans found along the NSW eastern coastal strip and inland for 30 kilometres.

He said ticks could inject a toxin that can cause local irritation or a mild allergic reaction, and in some cases ticks can pose a serious threat to a person’s health.  Symptoms to lookout for include rashes, headache, flu like symptoms, intolerance to light, weakness in limbs and partial facial paralysis.

“If you find a tick, it’s important to remove it as soon as possible.  “Use fine pointed tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.  Gently pull the tick straight out with steady pressure.  If you have trouble removing it, seek medical attention.  Do not try and kill the tick with methylated spirits of other chemicals as this will cause the tick to inject more toxins.  If the person has difficulty breaking because of swelling to the face or throat, seek medical attention immediately.”