Expert opinion: How best can you protect yourself from dengue fever?

Dr Richard Gair is a public health physician and director of Tropical Public Health Services (Cairns). He has worked in clinical and public health settings in Britain, India, Hong Kong and Australia.

Q

With more than 2000 cases of dengue fever confirmed in Australia last year, what can travellers do to protect themselves?

A

Dengue fever is caused by a virus spread from person to person by mosquitoes. It is possible to get dengue more than once. Infection can cause mild to severe symptoms and sometimes results in death. The dengue mosquito, or Aedes aegypti, is an urban mosquito which lives in and around people's houses in warm wet climates, which is why dengue is a disease of towns and cities in tropical areas. Aedes aegypti bites mainly indoors in the daytime. There is no vaccine routinely available against dengue so travellers to dengue areas should take precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. These include ensuring that accommodation is screened against mosquitoes, taking surface spray (for example, cockroach surface spray) for use under beds and other furniture, regularly applying personal insect repellent and wearing light-coloured clothes which cover the arms, legs, wrists and ankles.