Fears of mosquito diseases after drenching Australian rains

Bushfires devastated communities in three Australian states last week but on Tuesday it was flooding rains causing havoc instead.

Health authorities issued warnings of the risk of mosquito-born diseases for inundated areas.

Normally parched areas of the vast Central Australia area have been hit by monsoon rains for the past four days, with more than 200 millimeters of rain causing flash flooding in the area's only city of Alice Springs, and remote outlying townships which rarely receive rain.

Rain has fallen in most populated areas of Australia in recent days, including flooding in parts of South Australia which were just recovering from bushfires which destroyed more than 25 homes last week.

Environmental health officers have also begun preparing for a spike in the number of mosquitoes, warning of an increased risk of contracting a rare and potentially fatal mosquito-borne encephalitis virus.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported Central Australia was at risk, according to local director of Medical Entomology Nina Kurucz.

"People really need to protect themselves from getting bitten from mosquitoes by using insect repellent," she said.

"And (also) by covering up, wearing long sleeves and light- colored clothing, and staying away from mosquito-prone areas, especially at night because the mosquito that can carry Murray Valley encephalitis and also the Ross River (virus) is active at night."

The Ross River virus causes sustained flu-like symptoms including aching joints. Endi