PREVENTING HARM New Zealand mosquitoes don’t carry deadly diseases – let’s keep it that way Canterbury DHB’s Health Protection Officers (HPOs) are working hard to keep potentially harmful mosquitoborne diseases out of New Zealand, through regular surveillance of mosquito populations in Canterbury and South Canterbury and by responding to notifications of mosquitoes at New Zealand’s borders. Health Protection Officer Bruce Waddleton says that if exotic mosquitoes enter the country through our international airport or seaports and if they breed and spread, they could potentially infect people with a serious disease such as Dengue fever, malaria or the Zika virus. “The results could have serious consequences for the health of New Zealanders and major cost implications for our health system,” Bruce says. An important part of Bruce’s job is to monitor traps at Lyttelton Port and Christchurch International Airport, and to identify and eliminate potential breeding habitats. The larvae and adult mosquitoes Bruce finds are sent to a New Zealand Biosecurity laboratory in Wellington for identification. The Biosecurity Act backs up our HPOs dealing with exotic mosquitoes. Authorised officers can require landowners to cooperate in the elimination of unwanted organisms or potential habitat. In February 2016 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency in response to evidence that pregnant women who become infected with Zika virus can transmit the disease to their unborn babies, with potentially serious health consequences. The mosquito (Aedes sp.) that is able to spread Zika virus is not normally found in New Zealand, but is found in the Pacific Islands. – a list of countries 12 | Spring 2016
Health Protection Officer Bruce Waddleton checking a mosquito trap.
which have or have had Zika virus circulating can be found here: library.health.nt.gov.au/zika Bruce says that for New Zealanders who don’t travel overseas, our homegrown mosquitoes can still be a nuisance worth keeping under control. “Mosquitoes thrive in warmer months, especially after heavy rain, so people should be extra vigilant then. Everyone can do their bit to reduce mosquito numbers and minimise the risk of exotic, disease-carrying species getting a foothold and spreading disease, by regularly emptying water out of buckets, pot plants, and play equipment around the home – especially during spring and summer,” Bruce says. ■
The New Zealand Ministry of Health has a number of recommendations for travellers: • All travellers to Zika-affected areas should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites • Women who are pregnant or could become pregnant should avoid travelling to those areas • The Zika virus is also sexually transmitted. Men who have travelled to an affected country should ensure they use a condom when having sex, for six months after their return.