Dengue fever. Reappearance in northern Queensland after 26 years

Abstract

During March, 1981, a number of cases of dengue fever occurred in Cairns and Townsville, northern Queensland. From October, 1981, an outbreak of the infection was recognized on Thursday Island and, by May 1982, an estimated 38% of residents had been infected. Isolated cases were reported from other towns in northern Queensland and from other islands in the Torres Strait. Clinical presentation varied from that of severe incapacitating illness lasting up to seven days to infections which were confirmed by serological tests, but were not associated with apparent illness. No deaths were reported. Entomological surveys indicated that the domestic breeding vector of dengue, Aedes aegypti, is widely distributed throughout Queensland - southwards to Dirranbandi and westwards to Mornington Island. In some localities, the indices of Ae. aegypti abundance are alarmingly high, but at least in some suburbs of Townsville, it has been effectively controlled.