According to health authorities a vicious strain of Dengue fever is hospitalising people in far north Queensland. 20 people have been diagnosed with the Type 2 variant of the virus in East Innisfail and another five have Type 4 Dengue. 12 other people are possibly ill with the virus and awaiting laboratory confirmation.
According to Queensland Health spokesman Dr Geoffrey Hanna the Type 2 strain of the mosquito-borne virus was “vicious”. “It’s put around half of the people affected into hospital with sheer exhaustion, feeling totally done-in by the viral infection and some have needed intravenous fluids because of dehydration,” he said. He said that the type-two strain may have been brought in from Papua New Guinea. Dr. Hanna added, “It’s still active and another emerging concern for us is in among these pending cases… There’s a suggestion it may have moved out of east Innisfail into other local suburbs at Innisfail.”
Dr Hanna warns residents and said, “The general community should take heed…Minimize the chances of mosquitoes breeding in and around your home and if people do develop high fevers, are feeling dreadful, headache, pain around the eyes than that could well be dengue.”
There are four types of Dengue viruses that cause dengue fever worldwide – Dengue 1, 2, 3 and 4. A person infected with one type of Dengue will subsequently only be immune to that type. They will not be immune to other types of Dengue and will, in fact, be at risk of developing severe symptoms if they contract another type of Dengue.
By Dr Ananya Mandal