Archive for May, 2009

A woman has tested positive for swine flu after arriving in Darwin on a plane from Melbourne last Friday.

The territory was – up until Friday – the only state or territory in Australia that remained swine flu free.

The Territory Government says the woman arrived in the morning and later tested positivive for the H1N1 influenza, commonly known as human swine flu.

The Government says the woman has been wearing a mask and is now in home isolation being treated with Tamiflu.

They say the flight information has been sent to the national H1N1 incident room so that other passengers can be contacted.

This case takes the total number of people in Australia with the virus to 255.

Forty-five new cases were confirmed yesterday, 35 of them are in Victoria, which now has the most cases of any state at 173

Source

For information on swine flu, visit www.health.nt.gov.au The Commonwealth info line is 1802 007

With a new victim diagnosed with Murray Valley Encephalitis, this is a timely reminder to ‘cover up’ against the mosquito borne diseases Murray Valley encephalitis virus and Kunjin virus diseases for the next few months. wear protective light-coloured clothing with long sleeves, long trousers and socks; and use a protective repellent containing deet (such as Rid, Aerogard and Bushmans, check the label of your preferred one to be sure it contains deet)

From March to June is the peak period for the Kunjin virus and potentially fatal Murray Valley encephalitis virus throughout the NT, with activity continuing in higher risk areas until July.

Both viruses are transmitted by the bite of the common banded mosquito, which occurs in high numbers in the early to mid dry season. This mosquito breeds in flooded grassy and swamp areas and bites after sundown, with a peak in the first two hours of the night.

The symptoms of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus disease include severe headache, high fever, drowsiness, tremor and seizures – especially in young children. In some cases the condition progresses to delirium and coma, leading to paralysis, brain damage and, in a quarter of cases, death. Kunjin virus disease causes a milder disease, with fever and severe headache.

Anyone experiencing the early symptoms of either disease should seek urgent medical attention.

Two men have died from the disease in the territory in the last few weeks. Frank Young, 83 (From Queensland) died in the Darwin Hospital after a fishing trip. Mango farmer Theofilis Maglis (58) died in March this year from from brain failure after contracting MVE at his home in Batchelor.

We had the pleasure of the company of Geoff Carr at a curry night tonight and he told us of the impending visit of a space shuttle in the Darwin skies around 8pm. True to his word, the space shuttle Atlantis appeared clearly visible to all present. That was quite a remarkable experience for all of us.

The NASA space shuttle Atlantis yesterday linked with the Hubble telescope to perform repairs in orbit.

I sure hope it doesn’t make it to the suburbs!

RESIDENTS have been warned a bug plague sweeping the Top End could stay for several more weeks.

Resort owners have seen customers leaving because of the infestation – reported from Dundee to Darwin and as far south as Katherine.

Bees Creek resident Adam Collins said the small dark bugs had been at his house for more than two weeks.

“They’re everywhere – inside and outside the house, through the fridge, through the bedroom, through the linen, in the cupboard and the pantry, through our cars,” he said.

“I was outside reading the paper and they were swarming … in the daytime. We’ve got to cook dinner by candlelight … we just can’t have any lights on.

“We went to Crab Claw (island) on the weekend to get away from them but they were swarming at Crab Claw.”

Crab Claw administrator Mandy Green said 10 guests had left because of the bug plague and they had had to open and close the kitchen early to avoid the peak bug time of 7pm.

“It’s shocking,” she said. “They drip off the ceiling where the lights are.”

Dundee Lodge manager Sally Walker said “eight or nine” guests had left and she had changed the light globes to red so as not to attract them.

“You vacuum for an hour and you can’t see where you’ve been,” she said. “All I can do is pray for them to go.”

Department of Primary Industry principal entomologist Bryan Thistleton said the pest was first thought to be cottonseed bug but it had been identified as a relative, remaudiereana nigriceps.

He said it may hang around for “five, six, maybe eight weeks”.

“I wouldn’t think it would be longer than that,” he said.

Dr Thistleton recommended setting up a bright light source outside to attract them away from the house

Story by Ben Langford continued here

The 2009 Seabreeze Festival starts today with Seabreeze Day (3pm – 10pm) and runs through to 10th May. Located on the Nightcliff foreshore betweeen the Nightcliff Jetty and Chapman Road, it should prove to be a popular venue for the next week.

Throught the week, there will be Seabreeze Visual Arts Exhibition, the Seabreeze Sand Sculpture Award, the Multicultural Community Parade (featuring music and dance exhibitions from the Pacific, Africa, Middle East, Europe, Asia and India), Coconut Capers – Pacific Islanders showing the many uses of a coconut palm tree, the Top End Folk Club Stage, the Verandah Banda playing on the patio of 234 Casuarina Drive.

Many of the events are free and there are opportunities for the whole family to participate. I am looking forward to see my granddaughter singing at the Music Stage, with the Nightcliff Primary School Choir this evening!

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