A Riverina man has become the eighth resident in NSW to be diagnosed with the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus.
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NSW Health revealed details of the new infection on Friday and said the case was man aged in his 50s from the Temora area.
The man was treated in hospital and has been discharged. He is continuing to recover in the community.
There have now been six cases of the JE recorded in the Riverina - with the Temora case coming after two were recorded in Griffith, one in the Berrigan area, one in Corowa and another in the Balranald area.
One of the Griffith cases, a man aged in his 70s, became the state's first death with JE.
The man died in a Sydney hospital on February 13 and post-mortem testing subsequently found he had contracted the virus.
The latest case has prompted the heath authority to reissue its appeal for members of the community to stay vigilant and take precautions against mosquito bites.
NSW Health has also indicated it will change the way it reports JE cases in the state's residents from today, amid the evolving nature of the situation across the country.
In line with national reporting structures, any new cases and locations will be finalised by NSW Health each day at 4pm and reported the following day on its website.
The JE virus is spread by mosquitoes and can infect animals and humans.
The virus cannot be transmitted between humans, and it cannot be caught by eating pork or other pig products.
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There is no specific treatment for JE, which can cause severe neurological illness with headache, convulsions and reduced consciousness in some cases.
NSW Health said the best thing people could do to protect themselves and their families against JE was to take steps to avoid mosquito bites.
Simple actions you can take include avoiding going outdoors during peak mosquito times, especially at dawn and dusk, and close to wetland and bushland areas.
People should also cover up in long-sleeved shirts and pants when outdoors, and apply repellent to all areas of exposed skin.
Reducing all water-holding containers around the home where mosquitoes could breed can also limit the potential of being bitten. Mosquitoes only need a small amount of liquid to breed.
For further information on mosquito-borne disease, visit health.nsw.gov.au/jevirus
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