A woman who spent time in the Griffith area has been confirmed for Japanese encephalitis.
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The woman who is aged in her 60s was in Griffith before the onset of her illness and has since been discharged from hospital to continue her recovery at home.
It's the second case of Japanese encephalitis for the Griffith area, and the fourth case in the state according to NSW Health.
On Wednesday, the health department confirmed a man in his 70s from the Griffith region who had died had contracted the virus.
Since February, cases of Japanese encephalitis have been confirmed in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. It's the first time that cases of the virus have been identified in NSW in animals or humans.
The virus is spread by mosquitoes and can infect humans and animals, but cannot be trasnmitted between humans and cannot be caught by eating pork products.
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While there's no specific treatment for the virus and it can cause severe neurological illness with headaches, convulsions and reduced consciousness in some cases.
Further cases are expected as testing is completed.
The health department is urging residents to protect themselves from mozzie bites by;
- Avoid going outdoors during peak mosquito times, especially at dawn and dusk, and close to wetland and bushland areas.
- Wear long sleeves and pants outdoors (reduce skin exposure). Also wear shoes and socks where possible. There are insecticides (e.g. permethrin) available for treating clothing for those spending extended periods outdoors.
- Apply repellent to all areas of exposed skin, especially those that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus which are the most effective against mosquitoes. The strength of a repellent determines the duration of protection with the higher concentrations providing longer periods of protection. Always check the label for reapplication times.
- Reapply repellent after swimming. The duration of protection from repellent is also reduced with perspiration, such as during strenuous activity or hot weather so it may need to be reapplied more frequently.
- Apply the sunscreen first and then apply the repellent. Be aware that DEET-containing repellents may decrease the sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreens so you may need to re-apply the sunscreen more frequently.
- For children in particular - most skin repellents are safe for use on children aged three months and older when used according to directions, although some formulations are only recommended for children aged 12 months and older - always check the product. Infants aged less than three months can be protected from mosquitoes by using an infant carrier draped with mosquito netting that is secured along the edges.
- If camping, ensure the tent has fly screens to prevent mosquitoes entering.
- Mosquito coils and other devices that release insecticides can assist reducing mosquito bites but should be used in combination with topical insect repellents.
- Reduce all water holding containers around the home where mosquitoes could breed. Mosquitoes only need a small amount of liquid to breed.
Further information about mosquito-borne disease is available on the NSW Health website.
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