The Spread of Dengue Fever

Here's about dengue fever.

The mosquitoes, which have a taste for human blood, have caused outbreaks of the debilitating dengue virus in the Torres Strait in the past.

TSIRC executive manager of communities Lloyd Sunderland said the had council contracted entomologist Richard Piper to deliver the Dengue Mosquito Eradication Program.

“Mr Piper worked extensively with Queensland Health and the Tropical Public Health Unit to devise an effective program that would educate communities, inspect the area, and remediate potential dengue breeding sites,” Mr Sunderland said.

“Working in collaboration and in consultation with communities and key organisations are what makes TSIRC’s service delivery so effective.”

TSIRC environmental health workers had been vital participants, working on-ground before the start of each phase of the program, he said.

Scientific Advisory Services entomologist Richard Piper said it was important to break the dengue breeding cycle by emptying out any containers of fresh water around the home.

“A lot of people on the islands keep a tray of fresh water outside their house, to wash their feet and stop sand being tracked into their homes,” Mr Piper said.

“This is fine, as long as the water is emptied out and replaced at least once a week.”

Dengue mosquitoes, which breed around houses and bite during the day, have an incubation period of eight to ten days. They are usually spread in egg form.

“The adult mosquito only has a range of 50 to 100 metres, but the eggs have an ingenious method of spreading themselves around,” Mr Piper said.

“They do not hatch until they are wet, so they can stay inside tyres, coconut shell and other containers for up to 24 months, by which time they can be spread far and wide.

“There are three mosquitoes in the Torres Strait capable of spreading dengue fever, although the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, has to a large extent replaced the dengue fever mosquito Aedes egypti.”

Clinical symptoms of dengue fever range from mild fevers to a severe and potentially life-threatening haemorrhagic disease.

“While there is good awareness about dengue fever amongst the people of the Torres Strait, it is important for adults to set a good example for kids,” Mr Piper said.

“The TSIRC Dengue Program is raising awareness and getting the message out to the young ones.”

Mr Sunderland said the program will have visited all 15 Torres Strait Island Regional Council communities after its final visits to Ugar and Mer over the next few weeks.

The three-phase program includes community education, yard inspections, and destruction of potential breeding sites.

“Tagai supported the program immensely with the participation of its schools,” Mr Sunderland said.

“Any potential breeding sites that were too big to deal with were noted, such as old derelict rainwater tanks, which TSIRC will send teams out to demolish.

“TSIRC environmental health workers will continue to inspect homes in the future, having learnt how to identify and monitor potential breeding sites.”

Mr Piper and his team will deliver a report to TSIRC outlining future recommendations and preventative measures.

An Environmental Health Workshop on Poruma from April 12 to 14 will feature an overview of the Dengue Mosquito Eradication Program.