Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) vaccines will be made available to people living along the River Murray in South Australia, as concerns grow around the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
Those living and working along the River Murray, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert who spend more than four hours a day outside will be eligible for the shot.
JEV is spread to humans by mosquitoes and is endemic in parts of Asia and the Torres Strait Islands.
It was detected in southern Australia for the first time this year, with 30 definitive cases of the disease identified in the country according to the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care.
Six people have been reported to have died of the disease, including two in South Australia.
"JEV is a virus we didn't even know you could get in southern Australia until earlier this year," SA Health Communicable Disease Control Branch director Louise Flood said.
"It is a virus that can be very serious in a small number of people, but it is a vaccine-preventable disease.
"It's only available to that region [along the River Murray] because we think that's the area of the state that's at highest risk of this vaccine-preventable disease."
Local clinics to deliver shots
Around 23,000 vaccines have now been made available to eligible South Australians.
Vaccination centres will be opened in the Riverland at Barmera, Berri, Loxton and Waikerie, while in the Murraylands locals can get their shot at Mannum, Blanchetown, Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend.
Clinics in Meningie and Milang will be open for those around Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert.
"You don't have to go outside in the afternoon or evening and get attacked by mosquitoes to know they're everywhere," Berri Medical Clinic partner Kevin Stanton said.
"We always see mosquito-borne illnesses when we have wet winters and wet springs.
"The vaccine will be there to protect people from what is quite a serious disease."
Locals urged to protect themselves
Heavy rains and high river flows along the River Murray in South Australia have health authorities concerned the large number of mosquitoes in the region is increasing the chance of diseases being spread.
Other mosquito-borne diseases include Ross River Virus and Murray Valley Encephalitis, with no vaccines currently available for these.
Dr Flood said people living near inland waterways should be taking extra steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites this summer.
"We've only had four cases in South Australia of this disease where it's been locally acquired, and most of those people did visit the Riverland region," she said.
"There are mozzies around so we do want to protect people from this disease.
"As I said though you do still need to protect yourself from getting bitten by mozzies, because there are other diseases around that there isn't a vaccination against."
