DENGUE fever has emerged in Mareeba for the first time in 15 years, with public health officials reminding Far North Queenslanders to be vigilante with mosquito protection.
Tropical Public Health Services in Cairns this morning confirmed the first locally-acquired case of the mosquito-borne disease in the Far North, after the Mareeba woman recently presented with dengue-like symptoms.
It is the first locally-acquired case of dengue fever to be recorded in Mareeba since 2003.
Public health crews are currently in the town carrying out mosquito control where dengue mosquitoes have been found to be breeding.
Mareeba is outside the scope of the World Mosquito Program, formerly known as the Eliminate Dengue program.
To date, there has not been any cases of dengue in other parts of the Far North where the program released bacteria-infected mosquitoes.
