Saturday, December 20, 2008

Australia: Dengue fever soars in Cairns to 45 cases

December 19, 2008 11:30am

THE dengue fever count in Cairns has soared to 45 cases, with up to five more people awaiting test results as doctors warn of an outbreak.

Doctors have today made an urgent plea for people to see their GP if they feel sick over the Christmas and New Year period in a bid to curb the outbreak.

Symptoms can include intense headaches, muscle and joint pain, unpleasant metallic taste in mouth, vomiting, diarrhoea and extreme fatigue.

The last outbreak of dengue in Cairns was in 2006, when 29 people were infected with dengue type 2.

The current outbreak started in early December, when just two cases were confirmed at Manoora and Portsmith.

The outbreak is centred on Cairns North but it has rapidly spread to other suburbs such as Parramatta Park, Manunda, Mooroobool, Edge Hill, Whitfield, Trinity Park, Kewarra Beach and Clifton Beach.

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