Public urged to use Tennant Creek dengue hotline

A hotline phone has been established in a bid to stop the spread of mosquitos carrying dengue fever from Tennant Creek to other Northern Territory towns.

A hotline phone has been established in a bid to stop the spread of mosquitos carrying dengue fever from Tennant Creek to other Northern Territory towns.The disease was detected on February 20 and an extensive program has been set up in a bid to eradicate the aedis aegypti mosquito which carries the disease.The Territory Centre for Disease Control wants anyone who finds mosquito larvae in containers on their properties to call the hotline.The centre’s Peter Whelan says people should also call if they have not been visited by a member of the eradication team.He says all containers should be turned upside down or applied with surface spray if it has held water in the past three weeks.The hotline number is 1800 008 002.(Source: ABC Health News, March 2004)