(MENAFN) According to health authorities, Australia has recorded its first summer identification of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in Victoria, after the virus was found in a mosquito sample this week. Officials reported that the detection occurred in the Horsham Rural City Council area through the state’s Arbovirus Disease Control Program, marking the earliest confirmed presence of JEV in the country for the current season.

Authorities have advised residents to stay vigilant during outdoor activities as warmer weather increases exposure to mosquito-borne illnesses. JEV has remained present in Australia since a significant surge in 2022, a period that saw multiple infections and six fatalities across several regions.

Earlier this year, a human case was verified in Melbourne—the first since the 2022 outbreak—while intermittent infections have continued to emerge in eastern parts of the country, including one reported in Brisbane in March.

Although the virus mainly spreads among pigs and birds, it can infect people when they are bitten by mosquitoes carrying the pathogen.

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