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Speaker 1: There's been quite a lot of mosquitoes about. I know

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Speaker 1: I've certainly noticed them around. Now joining us on the

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Speaker 1: line to talk more about the well the risk that

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Speaker 1: those increased number of mosquitoes can bring is the Director

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Speaker 1: of Medical Entomology, Nina Kurrents. Good morning to you, Nina.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, good morning, Katie, Nina.

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Speaker 1: Good to talk to you.

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Speaker 2: Gee.

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Speaker 1: There seems like there's lots of mosquitoes around at the moment.

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Speaker 2: Look, there certainly are. We have seen it in other years,

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Speaker 2: but it hasn't been that bad in more recent years.

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Speaker 2: So this is why everybody is noticing it. And it

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Speaker 2: is pretty bad. And that is because we had very

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Speaker 2: high tides in October and November and we also had

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Speaker 2: some local rain, so there were eggs already waiting to hatch.

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Speaker 2: We're talking about the Salt Marsha mosquitoes and they all

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Speaker 2: came out and then every female can lay up to

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Speaker 2: two hundred eggs, so there's masses of eggs.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, goodness.

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Speaker 2: Health Services has done a lot of aerial and ground

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Speaker 2: control in and around Darwin. Despite that, we know that

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Speaker 2: the Salt Marsh mossies can fly up to a fifty kilometers,

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Speaker 2: so there's huge swamp coastal areas, and they're dispersing and

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Speaker 2: they're coming into areas like Darwin Parkle areas. So this

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Speaker 2: is why we are saying, because there's not a vaccine

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Speaker 2: for Ross river virus and these mozzies can transmit to

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Speaker 2: the disease, that people really need to be careful, cover up,

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Speaker 2: use of repellents, and not get bitten by mosquitoes.

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Speaker 1: And so is that the main advice here. Just make

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Speaker 1: sure that you are covering up.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty much, cover up. Unfortunately, these mosquitos are very

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Speaker 2: aggressive spiders and they're by day and night, so covering

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Speaker 2: up and using the repellents, and if possible, stay inside.

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Speaker 2: If you do not have to run around outside, it's

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Speaker 2: probably the best advice. Get some mosquito lanterns or do

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Speaker 2: some barrier spraying in your yard to avoid getting sick.

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Speaker 2: Really and unfortunately, of it's a relief for all of

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Speaker 2: us that the monsoon is coming now, but that means

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Speaker 2: that the freshwater mosquitoes are also shortly coming up in numbers,

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Speaker 2: and they're the main mosquitoes that can transmit rosro avirus,

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Speaker 2: and they're active at nights, so covering up and staying

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Speaker 2: away from mosquito prone areas, especially late in the afternoon,

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Speaker 2: evening nighttime is the best advice.

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Speaker 1: And Nina, what exactly is ross river the virus for

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Speaker 1: those out there listening who maybe don't know what the

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Speaker 1: symptoms are.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so ros ribavirus occurs throughout Australia. It's been around

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Speaker 2: for a long time. It's transmitted by mosquitoes, and the

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Speaker 2: mosquitoes because they live long enough due to the humidity

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Speaker 2: now they pick up the virus from a host animal,

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Speaker 2: so mainly out in the open areas that's supposed to

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Speaker 2: be wallabies, and they can transmit it to humans. So

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Speaker 2: the symptoms are mainly painful and sometimes also swollen joint

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Speaker 2: and muscle, so mainly affecting ankles, finger, knees and risk.

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Speaker 2: Some people also develop a raised red rash, mostly on

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Speaker 2: the limbs and the trunk, and then there is fever

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Speaker 2: and fatigue. Unfortunately no vaccine, and it's very debilitating because

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Speaker 2: it's hard for you to walk or grip anything and

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Speaker 2: you're just tired and this can last for months and

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Speaker 2: some people really covering up not getting bitten is the

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Speaker 2: way to go here.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it sounds like it. It sounds like it to

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Speaker 1: be terrible to end up with roschrivivirus. And yeah, the

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Speaker 1: best way to obviously make sure that you that you

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Speaker 1: protect yourself is literally to do that. To protect yourself

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Speaker 1: with clothing and make sure you're wearing insect repellent.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and the other thing everybody should be doing this

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Speaker 2: time of the year with the rain, go out into

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Speaker 2: your yard and tip everything out that can hold water

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Speaker 2: and store it upside down or out of the rain.

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Speaker 2: Because there's another mosquito. It's a little black one with

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Speaker 2: striped legs as well. Yeah, that can bite you. It

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Speaker 2: hangs around houses and it can also transmit ros rivervirus.

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Speaker 2: So go out into your yard, send the kids out

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Speaker 2: to tip out any water that's lying around.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, good advice. And Nina, you did say that there

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Speaker 1: are different control programs in place at the moment. What

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Speaker 1: are they?

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Speaker 2: So as we speak, all our offices are out today,

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Speaker 2: there will be out tomorrow and for the rest of

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Speaker 2: the day. So we have got a extensive aerial or

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Speaker 2: helicopter mosquito servants and control program which is servicing all

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Speaker 2: the swamp areas that border the northern Darwin suburbs. So

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Speaker 2: we're talking Leaniamigitt creek, shoal based swamp those areas. So

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Speaker 2: we are going out there looking exactly where the salt

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Speaker 2: marsh mosquitoes are breeding and then target those breeding sites

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Speaker 2: and control the breeding. On top of that, we are

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Speaker 2: servicing all the non mosquito breeding sites and dowin urban areas,

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Speaker 2: so that's all the storm water rains and any grassy depressions,

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Speaker 2: mangrove areas let's say the Ladmiller swamp for example, along

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Speaker 2: Coconut grove. All those areas we look for the mosquitos

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Speaker 2: and treat them as well.

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Speaker 1: And so when you say treat them, do you I

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Speaker 1: mean do they spray something to try and kill them.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, So there's different insecticides where we are using mainly two.

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Speaker 2: One is there called a mesoprem product. They are little

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Speaker 2: pellets and they're actually used in drinking water in Asia,

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Speaker 2: so they're very safe and what they do they suppress

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Speaker 2: the development from the lava mosquito into the adult mosquito.

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Speaker 2: And then in the swamp areas where the helicopter we

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Speaker 2: use more of a product called BTI. So that's a

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Speaker 2: life bacteria which is very target specific for mosquitos and

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Speaker 2: not harmful to people and what happens there. As soon

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Speaker 2: as the bacteria hits the water, the mosquito ingest the

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Speaker 2: bacteria and it kills their stomach lining within a few hours,

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Speaker 2: and the product is only viable in the sun for

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Speaker 2: a few hours up to twenty four hours, and then

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Speaker 2: it disappears again.

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Speaker 1: They do goodness may so certainly plenty of work going

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Speaker 1: on to try and minimize the risk of people ending

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Speaker 1: up with Ross rivervirus. Nina, how do you know whether

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Speaker 1: you've got it? Do you have to go? You obviously

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Speaker 1: have to go for a blood test or something with

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Speaker 1: your GP.

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Speaker 2: Yes, you do, and if the test comes back positive,

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Speaker 2: you definitely have to go and get a second test

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Speaker 2: to confirm it's really ross river because there's lots of

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Speaker 2: other medical conditions that are very similar. Yeah, so if

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Speaker 2: it comes positive the first time, it might not necessarily

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Speaker 2: mean that you do have ross rivavirus, so definitely go

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Speaker 2: back a second time for a second test.

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Speaker 1: There you go, Well, Nina, it's always great to talk

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Speaker 1: to you. You certainly know you know your stuff, There's

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Speaker 1: no doubt about it. I'm quite fascinated by it. Is

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Speaker 1: there anywhere where people can go if they're after a

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Speaker 1: little bit more information.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, on the Medical Entomology website, there is a whole

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Speaker 2: hand out on personal protection that also outlines all the

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Speaker 2: different mosquito lanterns, and also on there for next year,

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Speaker 2: and obviously still this here the old Marsh Mosquito and

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Speaker 2: the Biding Midge pet calendar, so that outlines when we

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Speaker 2: are expecting situations to be pretty bad.

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Speaker 1: Oh, there's always plenty for us to worry about in

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Speaker 1: terms of those those midgies and the mosquitoes, isn't there?

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Speaker 2: Yes, unfortunately there is. We are living in the tropics. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: little tritters are around.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, they most certainly are.

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Speaker 2: I can assure you that the Top and Health Service

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Speaker 2: is doing everything it possibly can to control the situation.

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Speaker 2: But unfortunately with the dispersal rate.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's hard well, and it's one of those

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Speaker 1: hard things. Like you said, we live in the tropics,

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Speaker 1: so there is that expectation. You know, you're never going

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Speaker 1: to be able to get rid of of all the

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Speaker 1: mosquitos and all the midgies. It is part of life here,

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Speaker 1: and I think the best thing for us to do

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Speaker 1: is just make sure that we protect ourselves as best

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Speaker 1: we can.

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Speaker 2: Yes, And just to mention one more thing, So there's

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Speaker 2: now an alternative insect repellent. Usually we say the deed

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Speaker 2: and picaridin based repellents are the best and long lasting,

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Speaker 2: and while that's still the case, as an alternative one

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Speaker 2: that's called PMD. It's a lemon eucalyptus extract that's available

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Speaker 2: as well at chemist and if that's used at a

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Speaker 2: percentage of at least thirty percent, is also very effective.

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Speaker 1: Excellent. Well, it is always good to have those options,

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Speaker 1: particularly for some people who've got skin conditions and that

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Speaker 1: kind of thing as well.

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Speaker 2: Exactly.

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Speaker 1: Well, Nina, lovely to speak to you this morning. I

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Speaker 1: always appreciate your time. Thanks so much for coming on today.

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Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you.

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Speaker 1: That is the director of medical Entomology there, Nina Kurtz,

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Speaker 1: And yeah, it is that time of year. I think

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Speaker 1: we've all probably noticed the increased number of mosquitos around

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Speaker 1: the place, and it's a very good reminder to make

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Speaker 1: sure that we do cover up. So the advice that

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Speaker 1: we're being given is avoid locations where mosquito activity is high,

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Speaker 1: especially after sundown. Make sure you use the mosquito proof

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Speaker 1: accommodation and camping facilities at night. If you're out camping,

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Speaker 1: wear the light colored clothing and long sleeves, long trousers,

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Speaker 1: and socks, especially between dusk and dawn in areas where

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Speaker 1: mosquitoes are likely to bite. Make sure that you use

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Speaker 1: a protective repellent containing twenty percent deep or there is also,

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Speaker 1: like she said, the PMD, so it's got lemon eucalyptus

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Speaker 1: in it at a concentration of at least thirty percent

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Speaker 1: as a supplement to protective clothing, with creams providing best protection.

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Speaker 1: Also use those mossy coils, mosquito lanterns, barrier sprays, and

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Speaker 1: tip out any of that water that is holding you know,

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Speaker 1: that's holding the you know, the bits of larvae or

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Speaker 1: whatever in there, and it is obviously a place where

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Speaker 1: they do breed, so make sure that you tip that

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Speaker 1: water out if it is around your yard