Grey nomads nervous about catching the Zika virus while camping in mosquito-infested areas will probably be relieved to hear the results of new research from a group of Australian scientists.
It seems that common local mosquitoes are not able to spread Zika meaning this country is unlikely to see a major outbreak of the disease … but a risk does remain in northern Queensland.
Writing in the PLos Neglected Tropical Diseases journal, academics from Queensland Health, the University of Queensland and James Cook University revealed that the Aedes aegypti mosquito is the only one of the 300 or so varieties in Australia that can transmit Zika.
Aedes aegypti is generally only found in tropical Queensland, and not in the major urban area of Southeast Queensland such as Brisbane, Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast. The areas at greatest risk are then likely to be those around Cairns, Townsville as well as the Torres Strait. There is a moderate risk around Rockhampton and Gladstone.
The absence of Aedes aegypti from any of our major metropolitan regions means the threat of a major outbreak is extremely low.
The other good news, according to the academics, is that the rate of transmission they found was relatively low. Fourteen days after taking a Zika virus-infected blood meal, only 67% of infected mosquitoes were found with virus in their saliva.
However, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes do have a propensity to bite humans, and to bite many different people.
While the scientists say there is a risk of a minor disease outbreak where the Aedes aegypti is present, they say the authorities in tropical Queensland are well-equipped to deal with outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease as they have been responding to local outbreaks of dengue for decades.
Ina separate development, the West Australian Health Department is warning that there will be more mosquitoes and a greater risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the state as the weather warms up.
Michael Lindsay, from the Health Department, said while many parts of the state had experienced a below average number of mosquitoes last summer, higher numbers were expected to return this year.
“Recent substantial rainfall combined with increasing temperatures and predictions of higher than usual tidal activity in coming months are likely to favour increased breeding of mosquitoes,” he said.
Mosquitoes in Perth and the south west of WA can transmit Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus.
