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Dengue Fever

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Advice to people living or working in Dengue Warning Areas in north Queensland (where dengue has occurred within the last month)

If you live in a Dengue Warning Area (where dengue has occurred within the last month) vector control officers will visit your home or workplace to control adult mosquitoes and mosquito breeding sites. In some cases, vector control officers may ask your permission to spray for mosquitoes inside your house or workplace.

If you are not home, a doorknob hanger will be left asking you to urgently contact Queensland Health or your local council. Delays provide greater opportunities for infected mosquitoes to transmit the disease to people.

Dengue fever is not a disease that governments alone can control – all residents and business owners are responsible for ensuring they do not encourage the breeding of dengue mosquitoes in their yards or businesses.

Avoid being bitten

You should take immediate action to prevent mosquito bites during the day, particularly early morning and late afternoon by using:

• cockroach surface sprays indoors in dark places such as behind cupboards and under beds and tables where dengue mosquitoes like to rest
• personal insect repellents
• plug-in zappers indoors
• flying insect spray (knockdown spray) in the air.

Get rid of dengue mosquito breeding sites

Dengue mosquitoes breed in containers that hold water. The dengue mosquito does not breed in rivers, swamps, open drains, creeks or mangroves. These mosquitoes do not like to travel far from mosquito breeding sites. The best form of control is to get rid of dengue mosquito breeding sites around the home. Dengue mosquitoes breed in containers that hold water, such as:

• buckets
• tyres – discarded with no rims
• tarpaulins and black plastic
• pot plant bases
• vases
• boats
• tin cans and plastic containers
• roof guttering
• rainwater tanks with damaged or missing screens
• birdbaths
• drain sumps
• fallen palm fronds
• striking containers (to grow plant cuttings)
• coconut shells.

'Stop the mosquito breeding
and you can stop the disease'

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Residents should check in and around their homes once a week and:

• throw out old containers that are not needed
• store containers in a dry place
• tip out containers that can hold water
• clean out roof gutters.

For more information view the Guide to the prevention of dengue mosquito breeding.

Delegated Queensland Health officers and local council environmental health officers (EHOs) have the jurisdiction to enter a property to assess whether there are mosquitoes breeding on that site.

See a doctor

If you feel unwell or have any symptoms of dengue you should see your doctor immediately and tell them that you have been living/working in an area where dengue is active.

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Resources for downloading

These resources are part of a dengue fever prevention campaign for north Queensland residents. The campaign encourages residents to: “Stop the mosquito breeding and stop the disease”.

To view the resources see Education and community.

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