Alarm in Australia

1998/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

One of the most harmful diseases spread through mosquitoes is increasingly spread around the world and is on the doorstep of Australian borders.

The disease known as Japanese Encephalitis can cause serious health consequences. In fact, one in 30 people exposed to the virus develops clinical symptoms. A quarter of them die and half suffer from brain disease and paralysis. It is estimated that every year, in the world, it causes the death of 15,000 people.

The virus was identified in Japan in the 1930s and spread throughout southeast Korea, China, India and Asia. About 20 years ago it was also detected in Bali and Borneo.

However, last year a 12-year-old girl died in Papua New Guinea, and in Australia they fear that in a few years they will have to endure the visit of the virus.

The main attractions of the virus are swine and wetland birds, which in many cases do not die and only transmit the disease.

Consequently, Australian biologists claim to be facing a difficult problem. At the moment, they want to develop a vaccine for pigs, not all pigs can be inserted, of course, but they want to create “buffer zones” that act as a barrier.