Expert warns of dengue risk

The Northern Territory Health Department says unless a more concerted effort is made to eradicate mosquitos in Tennant Creek there is a risk someone could die of dengue fever.

Expert warns of dengue riskThe Northern Territory Health Department says unless a more concerted effort is made to eradicate mosquitos in Tennant Creek there is a risk someone could die of dengue fever.Senior medical entomologist Peter Whelan says the aedesa egypti mosquito was detected in Tennant Creek about eight weeks ago and despite a spraying campaign it is firmly established and still breeding.Mr Whelan says an application has been made for Federal Government funding to help the spraying campaign which will probably run for 12 months.He says the presence of the mosquito is a serious public health problem.”There’s a huge epidemic going on in Indonesia at the moment, a couple of hundred thousand cases, 600 deaths,” he said.”So it’s a really dangerous disease and it’s only carried by this mosquito that’s in Tennant Creek.”If it continues to be in Tennant Creek, Tennant Creek runs the risk of people dying from dengue.”(Source: ABC Health News, April 2004)