CSIRO, JCU and Verily join forces to expand studies

October 2016: A global partnership to study disease-carrying mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a global problem that requires a global collaborative response. CSIRO has been studying mosquitoes for many years, considering new methods to reduce populations.

CSIRO is excited to start working with Google sister company Verily and James Cook University to expand our studies in Innisfail to confirm that new technologies will reduce mosquito populations in large urban landscapes.

Why Innisfail?

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is found in tropical regions in more than 120 countries. It is not a native mosquito to Australia but arrived from Africa over 100 years ago. The female Aedes aegypti is responsible for transmitting the dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. Innisfail has in previous years experienced local transmission of the dengue virus.

In November 2015 we began looking to see how the numbers of Aedes aegypti change seasonally in the Innisfail area. In ten months a network of over 300 traps, hosted on residents and business owner’s properties, has identified over 30 different species of mosquitoes in the region with a year round presence of the Aedes aegypti.