Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
[h=1]Asian tiger mosquito: Disease-carrying insect detected in Cairns, far north Qld[/h]
aug 18, 2015
The Asian tiger mosquito, or Aedes albopictus, has a voracious appetite for blood, can survive in a variety of climates, and spreads dengue fever, ross river virus and chikungunya.
An aggressive, disease-carrying species of mosquito that is regarded as a public health threat has been detected at the Port of Cairns in far north Queensland.
State and federal authorities have been trying to keep it out of mainland Australia through a monitoring and trapping program at international seaports.
Dr Roscoe Taylor from Queensland Health's Tropical Public Health Service said an adult female mosquito was caught next to a berth for international vessels in Cairns on August 12.
"[It] very probably came from one of three ships that visited the port in the preceding week or so," he said.
The Asian tiger mosquito has not been found on the mainland since April last year when it was detected in Perth.
aug 18, 2015
The Asian tiger mosquito, or Aedes albopictus, has a voracious appetite for blood, can survive in a variety of climates, and spreads dengue fever, ross river virus and chikungunya.
An aggressive, disease-carrying species of mosquito that is regarded as a public health threat has been detected at the Port of Cairns in far north Queensland.
State and federal authorities have been trying to keep it out of mainland Australia through a monitoring and trapping program at international seaports.
Dr Roscoe Taylor from Queensland Health's Tropical Public Health Service said an adult female mosquito was caught next to a berth for international vessels in Cairns on August 12.
"[It] very probably came from one of three ships that visited the port in the preceding week or so," he said.
The Asian tiger mosquito has not been found on the mainland since April last year when it was detected in Perth.