Rugby star, actor and producer Aaron Fa'aoso is urging our communities to stay vigilant during this summer season to help prevent the spread of the deadly diseases carried by mosquitoes such as the Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV).

As a proud Torres Strait Islander (Saibai Island) and Samoan/Tongan man, Mr Fa'aoso has been an advocate promoting vaccinations and practical preventative health measures for First Nations and remote communities since early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

He spoke to National Indigenous Times to discuss what JEV is and how the mob can best protect themselves and their communities against it.

"I was approached late last year, it's part of the federal campaign to get the information out there to our mob as we lead into summer with all the rain," Mr Fa'aoso said.

Referring to the floodplains throughout Queensland and New South Wales, Mr Fa'aoso notes the amount of dirty and stagnant water can easily become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

"Basically these areas become a festering ground for out little friend - the mosquito," he said.

"So, it's making sure that our mob and the communities are ready to arm ourselves not only against JEV but other diseases carried by mozzies.

"A big thing is making sure we are tipping out all that stagnant water in buckets and containers around the yard. The dusk period is when we have the aeroguards on and make sure we're wearing appropriate gear."

Japanese encephalitis is a rare but potentially very serious illness. While some people show no symptoms, some suffer fever, headache and vomiting.

People with a severe infection, around one in every 250 cases, may get symptoms such as neck stiffness, disorientation, tremors, coma, seizures, and paralysis.

Mr Fa'aoso was first made aware of JEV as a healthcare worker in the Torres Strait where he tragically lost a family member due to JEV complications.

"The reason why I got involved was when JEV first hit the Torres Strait in the mid '90s - I lost a family member to that virus," he said.

Currently, there are two safe and effective JEV vaccines: Imojev; one dose vaccine available for use in people aged nine months and older. JEspect / Ixiaro: two doses for use in infants and children aged ≥2 months and older, including people who are immunocompromised, and pregnant women.

"I encourage mob to get vaccinated against it," Mr Fa'aoso said.

In terms of other ways to tackle the problem, he said "the best way to mitigate these issues is to make sure we have our repellents on and making sure we are tipping out that water, especially after all of this rain".

Mr Fa'aoso encouraged all First Nations people to get a health check at their local Indigenous community controlled health service to ensure their health and vaccinations are up to date.