Mosquito breeding surveys planned for Jabiru

NT Department of Entomology will visit Jabiru next month to carry out testing. Pictured above is a Medical Entomologist conducting mosquito surveillance.

Northern Territory Department of Health Medical Entomology plans to carry out an annual mosquito breeding survey of Jabiru, to confirm the absence of the exotic dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti next month.
Two officers from Medical Entomology will visit Jabiru to carry out an inspection of residential and commercial premises on Wednesday, March 1 and Thursday, March 2 to collect mosquito samples for identification.
The Health Department is asking the community for support by providing access to their backyards as the officers make their way around the area to carry out this important work.
The Northern Territory is currently free of the dengue mosquito, which can transmit dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika virus.
However, there is the potential that this mosquito, which is present in North Queensland, could inadvertently be transported into the Northern Territory as eggs in old tyres or other receptacles.
In the past 13 years, the mosquito has twice been transported into Tennant Creek from North Queensland, with elimination programs required to eliminate this mosquito from the Northern Territory.
Aedes aegypti breeds in artificial receptacles in urban backyards. Receptacles such as used tyres, buckets, drums, rainwater tanks, roof gutters, bird baths and dog water tubs could provide breeding sites for this species of mosquito.

Mosquito larvae found during a survey.