Cairns Regional Council has received a truckload of insect repellent to help residents to protect themselves against dengue fever.

Reckitt Benckiser – the parent company of Aeroguard – has donated 15 pallets – or 26,000 individual tubes – of insect repellent gel for distribution by Council and Queensland Health.

They are available to members of the public from Council’s libraries and customer service centres.

Wearing insect repellent during the day is one of several key components in dengue prevention, combined with using surface spray indoors and tipping out water from potential breeding sites.

Dengue mosquitos breed in small amounts of clean, still water found in and around homes. They do not breed around rivers or swamps.

Anyone who suspects they may be experiencing symptoms of dengue fever should seek medical attention.

Free insect repellent gel tubes are now available from the following locations:

• Council’s administration buildings in Spence Street (Cairns) and Front Street (Mossman)

• City, Smithfield, Earlville, Stratford and Manunda library branches

• Port Douglas library kiosk (open 1pm-5pm on Tuesdays and 9am- 1pm on Thursdays and Fridays.