1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: We are being told to brace ourselves for an influx 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: of mossies a little later this week too, and to 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: also take precautions to prevent those bites. Now INNT Health 4 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: saying high tides are expected to trigger extensive breeding of 5 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: salt marsh mosquitoes, which are set to take flight from Friday. 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: Joining me on the line from the Center for Disease Control, 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: the director, I should say, Medical Entomology, Nina Kurtz, Good morning. 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: Hopefully I've got her on the line there, Hang on, 9 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: I better put her through the desk. Oh dear, my 10 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: phone line, as luck would always have it, is now 11 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: playing up, so I'll just make sure I get her 12 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: on the line. Good morning to you, Nina. 13 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 2: Good morning. 14 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: It was like a bit of a bit of a 15 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: technical issue. I've got you now. Lovely to have you 16 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: on the show, Nina. Last year, I reckon, we spoke 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: about the influx of mossies and happening again. What are 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: we expecting from Friday? 19 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, this is the time of the year again. 20 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 2: So last week we had the really high tides, and 21 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 2: then November we've got high tides again and probably significant 22 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: rain in between. So all these events are triggering a 23 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 2: lot of salt marsh mosquito to hatch and then have 24 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 2: an impact on people right across the anti coastline. And 25 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 2: as you said, this time it will start from around 26 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 2: Friday this week. These little modies are very aggressive by us. 27 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 2: They not only buy it at night, but also during 28 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 2: the daytime and unfortunately they can transmit Ross River virus. 29 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 2: So this is our seasonal warning to everybody just to 30 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 2: cover up, to make sure you're not getting bitten, use 31 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 2: to write repellents with the DP carotin oil of lemon eucalyptus, 32 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 2: cover up and use the devices that out there, and 33 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 2: also make sure when your kids are out that they 34 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 2: are adequately covered as well to not get sick. And 35 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 2: then we are getting into the monsoon season and that's 36 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: after the really heavy rains when the other mosquitoes are 37 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: coming around that are mostly active during nighttime after sundown, 38 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 2: but they're the ones that can transmit the Murray Valley 39 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: andcephalitis Japanese and cephalitis. So again, cover up, make sure 40 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 2: you don't get bitten, so you don't get sick. 41 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: So, Nina, I know last year and well last year 42 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: we had a situation as well where there was like 43 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: there was such an influx of mosquitos that you know, 44 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: you might be at an outdoor activity in the evening 45 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: and you were literally swatting them away. Are we expecting 46 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: it to be like that or is it just an 47 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: increase on what we've sort of seen, you know, in 48 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: the I guess in the dry season. 49 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, unfortunately, I think there will be quite an impact 50 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,119 Speaker 2: because we've been out in the last few days and 51 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 2: having a good look around in the swamp areas close 52 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,679 Speaker 2: to Darwin and there were high numbers of mosquitoes out 53 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 2: there were already treated three hundred tactors of mosquito breeding. 54 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 2: We also looked further afield and saw that there's quite 55 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: high numbers breeding, so they will make their way into 56 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: the suburbs as well. And as said, other communities are 57 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: more rural communities close to the coast will also be impacted. 58 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 2: So yeah, we are expecting the season to be quite bad. 59 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 2: So yeah, cover up the repellents and be safe, Nina. 60 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: In terms of rosh rivervirus, have we had many cases 61 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: this year or many cases of other mosquito born viruses, So. 62 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 2: We are not in the high risk season for ros 63 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: riviyette that usually starts from December after the monsoonal rain 64 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 2: and then goes through to June. And that's the same 65 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 2: with Mori Valley or Japanese sephalidas. So this financial year, 66 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 2: since July, we had twelve cases anti white, So that's 67 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 2: not that many on average in the anti we experience 68 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: in about two hundred and fifty cases that are notified. 69 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 2: They're probably a lot more, but people just don't go 70 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 2: to the doctor and don't go get the second blood 71 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 2: test done because you need two tests to confirm ross 72 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 2: robavirus or Barma forest. But yeah, it's a debilitating disease. 73 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 2: Lots of joint pains, ankles, knees, fingers, so that's something 74 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: you don't want to experience. 75 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, Nina. I know you mentioned it before, but 76 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: just remind us again what should we do to protect 77 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: ourselves from being beaten? 78 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, just self for starters, wear long sleeves, shirts, light 79 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 2: and color because mosquitos are attracted to dark colors, long pants. 80 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 2: Cover up your feet as well. Use the insect repellents 81 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 2: that are proven to work for extended periods, like the 82 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 2: ones that contain the deed, the picaridine oil of Yemen eucalyptus. 83 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 2: Then there's a good old mosquito coiled, other mosquito devices 84 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: like ferma cells out there. If you're more stationary, you 85 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 2: can use a barrier spray sort of. That's the actual constituent, 86 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:02,039 Speaker 2: the active constituent, and there's hold by Senfrin that can 87 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 2: be applied as per label or by a licensed pest 88 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 2: controller on low shrubs, or if you've got fences with 89 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: like black plastic or other material which you can use 90 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 2: to spray that product on. And the rational behind that 91 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 2: is that the mosquitoes don't go straight to you and 92 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 2: bite you. They rest close to you and get their 93 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 2: orientation right, and if they rest on the surface that's 94 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 2: been treated, they get a lethal dose. But it needs 95 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 2: to be done as per label rate because it does 96 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 2: affect other insects as well as fish, so caution has 97 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: to be taken. But these products and backyards around sort 98 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 2: of this time of the year provide protection for about 99 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 2: additional protection for up to six weeks, so it's not 100 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 2: that no mosquitoes will get through to you anymore, but 101 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 2: it reduces the number if there's really high numbers. 102 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:56,279 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, Nina Kurretz, I really appreciate your time as always, 103 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: thank you so very much for joining us and well 104 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: letting us the lay of the land when it comes 105 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: to this influx of mozzies. Thank you very much, thank you, 106 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: thanks so much for your time.