Residents on the Murray River asked to volunteer a teaspoon of blood to track spread of deadly Japanese encephalitis

The study has been launched in the Moira Shire on the Murray River north of Shepparton.

The shire's residents have already been included in a free JEV vaccine rollout for farmers and other outdoor workers aged between 50 and 65 years old.

READ MORE:

Locals may have become infected already in this year's shock outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease and not know it.

The shire's residents are being asked to volunteer their blood to determine how widely it has spread.

It hopes to find out how many have been infected and who is more likely to be infected?

"This will help us determine who should be prioritised for vaccination and other prevention activities," the study's authors said.

Officially, the outbreak has already caused 40 confirmed cases of human infection with five deaths.

This latest study is funded by Victoria's Health Department with the assistance of the Goulburn Valley Public Health Unit and the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.

Health authorities are anxious about the return of the virus when mosquito numbers rise again after the winter.

Only in the past week was it confirmed JEV was in Australia a year earlier than first thought.

Although the official alarm was sounded earlier this year, it has now been confirmed a fatality in the Northern Territory from February in 2021 was likely the first victim to this outbreak.

High priority targets like piggery workers and officials working to contain this year's outbreak have already been given access to earlier vaccine supplies.

The vaccine rollout has been extended in Victoria to include the local government areas of Mildura, Swan Hill, Gannawarra, Campaspe, Moira, Greater Shepparton, Indigo and Wodonga.

In NSW, the local government priority areas are Wentworth, Balranald, Murray River, Edward River, Berrigan, Federation, Albury, Greater Hume, and Griffith.

There has been no announcement yet from South Australia and Queensland about joining the extended vaccine rollout.

Most people infected with JEV only have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.

As the Moira Shire survey wants to learn, people may have been infected and recovered from JEV without knowing it.

Volunteers for the study must not have been either previously vaccinated for JEV or diagnosed with it.

Residents born in a country where JEV is endemic are also being excluded.

Those countries identified are Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Guam, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Saipan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Vietnam

After coming forward to provide a blood sample, residents will be advised of the test results.

They can attend Dorevitch Pathology Collection Centres in Cobram and Yarrawonga or contact the Goulburn Valley Public Health Unit on 1800 313070.