00:01What I can say is that Northern Territory health officials are warning residents to protect themselves and take precautions against
00:08Murray Valley encephalitis after these two deaths were recorded in Central Australia in April and May this year.
00:14We still don't know a lot about these deaths though. MVE is a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease and since
00:211974 there have been 48 cases of MVE recorded in the Northern Territory including the most recent deaths in April
00:29and May.
00:31NT Health, Northern Territory Health says they will carry out mosquito control efforts across the Territory but they're also urging
00:37people to use insect repellent, wear long clothes and stay away from known hot spots.
00:42I spoke to Dr John Boffer from Central Australia's biggest Aboriginal health organisation, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. He linked the
00:50presence of the disease in Central Australia to climate change.
00:55This is in Alice Springs, Central Australia. It's very unusual for these mosquitoes that carry this virus to be around
01:01in Central Australia in our climate. So this is really a sign of climate change and the future is now
01:07in terms of some of the changes we're going to see with disease patterns.
01:12And Elsie, that's not the only health concern in the NT at the moment with that diphtheria outbreak now in
01:18one of the worst in Australia's history.
01:22It is. So it's one of the worst in Australia's history after spreading across its borders from Western Australia, Queensland
01:31and South Australia.
01:32There have been more than 150 reported cases in the NT so far according to Dr John Boffer including one
01:39probable death along with 79 cases in WA, six cases in South Australia and up to five cases in Queensland.
01:46Authorities are urging Territorians to get tested and vaccinated.
01:50I was at Larrapinta Valley Town Camp today with Congress for some of their vaccination drive and I couldn't see
01:57much vaccine hesitancy there.
01:59People were making their way through the doors.
02:02Dr Boffer says the disease is linked to climate change, poverty and the biggest issue the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health
02:08Organisation is facing right now is a lack of staff.
02:11As after the COVID pandemic, many health workers left the Northern Territory.
02:16Let's hear from him now.
02:18We've had one probable death.
02:21So there's a low, that's a low mortality rate, but this is still a very severe and serious and potentially
02:27life-threatening illness for people who are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated.
02:36So as you can hear there, Dr Boffer says getting vaccinated is of paramount importance in terms of fighting this
02:43disease in Central Australia and in the Northern Territory more broadly.
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