Protecting Australia from disease vectors: exotic mosquito management at the border
Angus Sly A and Callum Mack BA Pathway Surveillance and Operational Science, Compliance Division, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, GPO Box 858, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. Email: Angus.Sly@agriculture.gov.au
B Office of Health Protection, Australian Government Department of Health, GPO Box 9848, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. Email: Callum.Mack@health.gov.au
Microbiology Australia 39(2) 108-110 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA18032
Published: 13 April 2018
Abstract
Mosquitoes, through the diseases they transmit, are considered the deadliest animals in the world1. While Australia is relatively free of many of the mosquito species capable of transmitting diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus, Australia is not immune to the risk of these arboviruses becoming endemic through the introduction of exotic mosquito vectors. In 150 separate instances there were 525 individual exotic mosquitoes detected at the Australian border between 2014 and 2017 (Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, unpublished data). Accordingly, there is a strong focus on surveillance and control activities to prevent exotic mosquito incursions and possible local establishment.
References
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[3] Australian Government Department of Health (2018) National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. http://www9.health.gov.au/cda/source/cda-index.cfm
[4] World Health Organization (2005) International Health Regulations, 3rd edition, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2016.
[5] Australian Government Department of Health (2017) Response guide for exotic mosquito detections at Australian first points of entry. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-exotic-mosquitoes
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