There are fears the mosquito borne infection could become an endemic in Australia. Previously confined to the tropical north, Japanese encephalitis has travelled as far south as South Australia since late February — infecting 17 people and leading to two confirmed deaths, according to state health authorities. Shutterstock

Cases of Japanese encephalitis virus has been found in Australian pigs in four states. Australia’s health and agriculture ministries said the government would invest Aus$69 million on control measures including buying an additional 130,000 vaccine doses, bolstering the 15,000 now in stock. REUTERS

Due to the Japanese encephalitis outbreak, Australia will enhance surveillance of mosquito and animal activities, model the potential virus spread as well as undertake mosquito control. Konstantin Nechaev/Alamy

Buildings are surrounded by flood waters in Londonderry on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, Thursday, March 3, 2022. More extreme rainfall events have brought greater numbers of mosquitos to eastern Australia, one scientist said, as the country battles higher temperatures blamed on climate change that mean the atmosphere holds more moisture. REUTERS