Increasingly, people living in bush areas of the Shire are becoming aware of Mammalian Meat Allergy (MMA). Also known as alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), the disease is caused when a tick bites you and transfers a sugar called alpha-gal into your bloodstream.

Local health authorities are urging residents to take precautions against tick bites.

Changing climate and favourable conditions are seeing Japanese encephalitis virus spread widely in Australia. What is this virus, and what’s being done about it?

It’s now tick season, and with Australians generally having a low awareness of the major health issues they can cause, now is the time to get informed.

We freak out when our beloved pets get a tick, but little do we know that even the smallest of infected ticks can pass on numerous life-threatening infections to humans.