Cr Danita Potter - Health Services Portfolio Report - 21 March 2018

Mosquito Control

In a further attempt to protect residents of the South Burnett, Council has recently commenced working with the CSIRO (Federal Government) and the Wide Bay Regional Organisation of Council’s (WBBROC) on a new Aedes aegypti project.  This initiative seeks to carry out eDNA typing of the particular Aedes aegypti mosquito presently being found in the area in order to establish where these mosquitoes have originated from.  That is, have they been imported from overseas or have they migrated down from North Queensland. 

The results of this project may form part of a Federal grant application which will aim to assist with the eradication of the Aedes aegypti mosquito in the Wide Bay Burnett region.  It is important to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito locally in order to reduce the potential risk for the transmission of imported Dengue Fever and Zika virus to other members of the public. Council also continues to monitor Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding within the South Burnet, working closely with Queensland Health.  It is important for residents to continue to help assist the control of this mosquito, particularly around their own homes.

Hosting of an International Environmental Health Officer (EHO)

Environmental Health Australia (QLD) Inc participates in the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) Twinning Program. Twinning is the exchange of Environmental Health (EH) professionals, for a period of time, where a sharing of expertise and learning opportunities is facilitated. This year the exchange program is with the Zambian Institute of Environmental Health (ZIEH). Given Council’s proactive approach in a number of regional and state public health matters this Council was approach directly by EHA (QLD) Inc and invited to host a ZIEH delegate for dates in April of this year.