Exotic Mosquito Surveillance Program around Major Ports

Dr Satya YadavRegional Vector Coordinator, Dept. of Agriculture and Water Resources

Historical Prospective• The 1996 Prof. Nairn Review into Australia’s

quarantine standard highlighted the ad hoc vector

monitoring(VM) that was being conducted by AQIS.

• Vector Monitoring Working Group (VMWQ) was

created for nationally consistent VM practices.

• Prof R. Russell Report 1998 (ext) and S. Russell

Report 2004 (int) which included Defence sites

Objective

• To monitor and control the mosquito

population in the 400m radius of each

port, thereby preventing importation

and exportation of mosquitoes with

disease vector capability.

International Obligations

World Health Organisation (WHO) and their

International Health Regulations (IHR)

WHO IHR Annex - 5• A 400m radius around ports is to be kept free

from mosquitoes capable of hosting human

disease• Goals are to detect, reduce or eliminate sources

from which infections may spread; improve

sanitation; prevent dissemination of vectors

Diseases and the Health PerspectiveA resurgence of infectious diseases has arisen due to many

factors including:

- long-distance trade

- greater human travel

- environmental challenges like climate change

- unplanned urbanisation

- inappropriate use of pesticides

- human settlement near wetlands and forests

- social and political disruption

Mosquito Vector

Mozzies are responsible for more than one million

deaths each year worldwide – that’s more than

one hundred times the deaths caused by sharks,

crocodiles and box jellyfish combined.

Mosquitoes are best known for carrying malaria, a

‘vector-borne’ disease that around 3.4 billion

people – or half of the world’s population – are at

risk of contracting.

Mosquito-Borne DiseasesDiseases of Import Concern:• West Nile virus • Dengue Fever• Chikengunya• Japanese Encephalitis• Malaria• Filariasis

Diseases of Export Concern:• Australian Encephalitis (MVE and Kunijn)• Ross River• Barmah Forest Viruses and Yellow Fever

First Port Vector Monitoring ProgramThe “Russell Report”

• In 1998 Prof. Richard Russell (medical

entomologist) visited first ports at the

request of the AQIS Vector Monitoring

Working Group.

• Prof. Russell reviewed AQIS VM procedures,

assigned risk profiles for each port and

provided recommendations for vector

monitoring.

Vulnerability & Receptivity

Risk categories were based upon port:

Vulnerability: of the port for mosquito incursions (i.e. types of vessels arriving, their ports of origin and types of cargo) and;

Receptivity: of the port for establishment of exotic species of concern (i.e. presence of suitable mosquito habitats and favourable environmental conditions)

The Risk Categories

Category RiskVulnerabilit

yReceptivity

1 Very High High High

2 High Moderate High

3 Moderate Moderate Moderate

4 Low Moderate Low

5 Very Low Low Low

Australian Quarantine Ports and their Vector Introduction Risk

Seaports RiskRussell report found that overall:

• Seaports have a much greater vulnerability and receptivity than airports

• Ships carrying receptacles capable of holding water coming from Asia constitute the highest vulnerability risk

• Australian Ports with drums, tyres, machinery etc on or near wharves constitute the highest receptivity

Airport Mosquito Control

Disinsection Program

• All first porting aircraft must have either– disinsection agreement and/or be manually disinsected when landing in Australia

• Provides security against mosquitoes being imported and exported by aircraft

• Covers cabin and hold• Molecular assays are done to audit

aircraft

Vector Monitoring Trapping Techniques

NSW Vector MonitoringIn total at 11 Locations

Sydney Airport

Phillip Moffatt

Sydney SeaportHaydn

Monroe

Newcastle Port

Beau Parker

Canberra AirportCarsten Tietgte

Port Kembla

Iain Davidson

Lord Howe Island

Ian Fitzgerald

David Kelly

Coffs Harbour

M Johnstone

Beau Parker

Eden -Twofold

BayIain

Davidson

HMAS AlbatrossJan Forbes

RAAF Williamtow

nKylie

Watson

RAAF Richmond

David Nakken

NSW Vector

Monitoring Satya YadavRoss

Rickard

Trapping Techniques

Why we do trapping?• Trapping is a backup defense against

importations of exotic mosquitoes

Types of traps AQIS use:-

1. Adult Traps – Light (light+CO2) and BG Traps

2. Larval Traps – Sentinel Tyres

3. Egg Traps - Ovitraps

Light Trapping

• CO2 released into the

breeze • Diode emits light and

heat• Fan sucks in the

mosquitoes• Held in storage

container

The BG-Sentinel: Biogents' mosquito trap

• the BG-Sentinel is an excellent surveillance tool for mosquitoes in general.

•mimics convection currents created by a human body.

•employs attractive visual cues

•releases artificial skin emanations through a large surface area.

•can be used with or without CO2

Importance of Light Trapping

Why?• Indicates port receptivity• Records local species• May identify incursion

When?Dependant on risk category:

• Risk Cat. 1& 2 – 2 to 4 sites weekly• Risk Cat. 3, 4 & 5 – when required

Sentinel Tyre Traps

Why?

Good traps for container breeders• Dark, sheltered interior, rapid aging of water

When?

Dependant on risk category:• Risk Cat. 1– 6 sites weekly• Risk Cat. 2 & 3 – 4 sites weekly• Risk Cat. 4 & 5 - 4 sites weekly (>10°C)

Sentinel Tyre Traps

• Tyres are favorite

breeding places for

container breeders• Tyres - <500mm dia.,

cloth ply, thin walled• 50mm hole in wall• Attractive but risky to

maintain

Ovi-traps

Why?

They allow rapid reporting of an

incursion of container breeding

species, particularly Ae. aegypti and

Ae. albopictus

When?

Dependant on risk category

Types of ovi-traps

January 2007 PowerPoint Template 24

Pathways• Air

-Aircraft Disinsection-Treated residually every 8 weeks or TOD-Random auditing of aircrafts by molecular assays

PathwaysSea

Higher level of trapping and

monitoring due to higher risk

(more receptive & vulnerable)

Pathways – Sea freight cont

Illegal FFV’s

January 2007 PowerPoint Template 27

Pathways – Sea freight cont

Other vehicles etc

Pathways – Sea freight cont

Tarps on containers

Pathways – Sea freight cont

Yachts and tyres

Vector –Surveillance & Dipping

Surveillance Strategy for Vectors at First Ports

Requirements of Vector Program:

– Surveillance: the detection, reduction or

elimination of sources from which infection may

spread– Remediation: maintenance of sanitation in

and around the port

Ground Surveillance

Why?Ensures port sanitation

• Recommend remediation activities• Confirms highest risk sites are being

monitored

When?Dependant on risk category:

• Risk Cat. 1 & 2 – Monthly (wet season) (November to April)

• Risk Cat. 3 to 5 – Twice Yearly (November and March)

Old tyres

Pools of water on ground

Machinery parts

Ponds, marsh and swamp

areas

Drains

Plants

Target Mosquito Species

Exotic target species are:

•Aedes aegypti (where it does not naturally occur)

•Aedes albopictus

•Exotic Anopheles spp.

•Other exotic species

Target species for export prevention are:

•Aedes aegypti (endemic in North Queensland)

•Aedes camptorhynchus

•Aedes vigilax

•Anopheles annulipes

•Anopheles farauti

•Culex annulirostris

T

Exotic detections at the boarder since the start of 2014

Airport Detections =40

Seaport Detections =03

Cargo/Surveillance Detections =04

Prior to last year average exotic detections per year were =5-6 Prior to last year average exotic detections per year were =5-6