Australia battles dengue fever

Health authorities in Queensland are continuing to battle an outbreak of dengue fever.

Reports indicate that local hospitals are receiving around 50 new cases each week

Rose Spencer, policy officer for Queensland Health's Dengue Fever Response Team (DART), told the Brisbane Times: "On average in this outbreak, about one in four is requiring some kind of hospital intervention."

"It may just be just a few hours in emergency. One or two have required intensive care. What we're seeing most is people with really bad headaches and really dehydrated because they can't keep food or water down."

Brisbane City Council is to provide a team of health workers who will be drafted in to assist in dealing with the spread of the disease and treating those already infected.

Dengue fever is transmitted via bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause a range of symptoms, from a mild fever to a severe headaches, muscle and joint pain and rashes.