Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Academic urges national dengue database
By Kirsty Sexton
Posted Wed Apr 1, 2009 8:44am AEDT
Updated Wed Apr 1, 2009 8:45am AEDT
An academic says Qld Health needs to establish mosquito traps at airports to help stop the spread of the disease. (ABC TV News - file image)
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An academic says a national database needs to be established to monitor dengue fever.
There have been more than 800 cases of the disease in far north Queensland, with more being reported daily.
University of Queensland business student Frederico Muzzi says his homeland of Brazil deals regularly with large-scale dengue fever outbreaks.
Mr Muzzi says Brazillian health authorities use mobile phone technology to publish mosquito figures on a national database shared by all levels of government.
"When you have information from a broader geographic area you can see how the population are behaving," he said.
"Dengue fever is concentrated up in Cairns and now with global warming it can make it possible for the mosquito to go down south to places like Brisbane.
"City councils and the State Government can coordinate actions to prevent dengue fever mosquitos spreading out all over Queensland and also to know which areas have a higher or lower population of the mosquito."
Mr Muzzi says Queensland Health needs to establish mosquito traps at airports to help stop the spread of the disease.
He says airports are full of travellers and one infected person could spread the disease out of north Queensland.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/01/2531682.htm
By Kirsty Sexton
Posted Wed Apr 1, 2009 8:44am AEDT
Updated Wed Apr 1, 2009 8:45am AEDT
An academic says Qld Health needs to establish mosquito traps at airports to help stop the spread of the disease. (ABC TV News - file image)<script type="text/javascript"> <!-- if (typeof showPhotos == 'function') showPhotos('2531682-mediarss.xml'); --> </script>
An academic says a national database needs to be established to monitor dengue fever.
There have been more than 800 cases of the disease in far north Queensland, with more being reported daily.
University of Queensland business student Frederico Muzzi says his homeland of Brazil deals regularly with large-scale dengue fever outbreaks.
Mr Muzzi says Brazillian health authorities use mobile phone technology to publish mosquito figures on a national database shared by all levels of government.
"When you have information from a broader geographic area you can see how the population are behaving," he said.
"Dengue fever is concentrated up in Cairns and now with global warming it can make it possible for the mosquito to go down south to places like Brisbane.
"City councils and the State Government can coordinate actions to prevent dengue fever mosquitos spreading out all over Queensland and also to know which areas have a higher or lower population of the mosquito."
Mr Muzzi says Queensland Health needs to establish mosquito traps at airports to help stop the spread of the disease.
He says airports are full of travellers and one infected person could spread the disease out of north Queensland.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/01/2531682.htm