The Zika Virus

As a follow-up to the blog on the influx of mosquitoes around Kuranda (see below), I am grateful to Eve for the link and precis to the Zika Virus. The handsome mosquito also transmits Dengue which occurs in Cairns, Townsville and other places along the coast.

Zika Virus is spread by the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti. This mossie is a "domestic insect". It occurs in and around human domestic habitats but usually not in nature. It breeds in birdbaths, flowerpot bottoms, clogged roof gutters and the like. Best to monitor potential sources and avoid the general aerial spraying that goes on in some Asian countries. This kills all the native insects and renders the habitats rather sterile as far as insects are concerned. Let's hope we do not get to that extreme in Australia.