Aussie warns spike in cases of Ross River virus

Australians and tourists in Australia's state of Victoria have been urged to protect themselves from mosquito bites as authorities tried to handle a spike in cases of Ross River virus.

While the virus is not considered deadly, it does carry painful symptoms including muscle cramps and joint pain which can last up to a year after infection. There is no treatment for the virus other than using painkillers to relieve symptoms.

In a statement released overnight, Victoria's Chief Health Officer Charles Guest said recent heavy rains across the state had resulted in a boom in mosquito numbers in local rivers.

He urged Victorians to adequately protect themselves from the insects this summer to avoid falling ill, and added more than 300 people were diagnosed with Ross River virus in 2016 - a 50 percent increase compared to the previous year.

"The best protection from these diseases is to avoid mosquito bites - protective measures include regularly using mosquito repellent, wearing loose fitting clothing when outside and ensuring accommodation is mosquito proof," Guest said in a health warning released overnight.

He said with summer only beginning in some parts of the state, the number of cases was likely to increase, and urged locals to be careful when choosing to swim in slow-moving lakes and rivers, in which mosquitoes thrive.

Meanwhile some of the state's beaches are also considered unsafe to swim in following unseasonable stormy weather; the Environment Protection Authority on Wednesday said popular beaches around Melbourne had "poor" water quality after they were found to have increased levels of enterococci, bacteria found inside animal and human waste.

Storms which lashed the state last week have pushed excess water into Port Philip Bay, taking with it higher levels of animal and human feces. Endit