Mosquito Monitoring

For more than 15 years an Arbovirus and Mosquito Monitoring Program has been developed and carried out by NSW Health (Westmead Hospital) in conjunction with NSW Councils including Leeton Shire Council. The program helps identify Arbovirus activity through routine sampling.

Arboviruses (Arthropod-borne viruses) are those that are transmitted to humans from mosquitoes, example of these include Ross River & Murray Valley encephalitis. The main objectives of the program are to monitor mosquito vector populations in coastal and inland areas of NSW at risk of Arbovirus activity; identify the major pest and vector species for each locality and monitor population fluctuations of the important species (especially Culex annulirostris for inland areas such as Leeton).

Meeting these objectives ultimately means Council can provide early warning to its community about possible virus outbreaks as well as provide a better understanding of arboviruses, vectors and environmental conditions.

The program involves two types of testing, one being the setting of traps aimed at collecting mosquitoes and the other is the blood sampling chicken flocks. Council takes part in both of these methods of testing as well as being involved in the trial a new honey bate mosquito trap.

To find out more about the program please go to the arbovirus website by clicking here or contacting Council’s Planning, Building and Health Department on 02 6953 0911.