‘Time to act’: This year’s mosquito season to be the worst in a decade

Flooding river regions, spring rain and a wet, warm summer has provided the perfect storm for a mozzie outbreak – bringing a range of viruses to SA.

This year’s mosquito season is predicted to be the worst in a decade because of the wet spring, and a forecast wet, warm summer.

The forecast has health authorities on alert, monitoring for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Ross River virus, Murray Valley encephalitis and Barmah Forest virus – all mozzie-borne risks.

Vasilios Tsoutouras, chief officer of Allstate Pest Control, said the pest outbreak was likely to be the worst the company had seen.

“My gut feeling is that this year will probably be the worst pest season we’ve had on record,” he said. “The mosquito season will be ferocious.”

Mr Tsoutouras said the wet weather and an upcoming hot and wet summer meant Adelaide could expect an abundance of mozzies.

He said business was so busy clients were waiting up to a week for treatment.

“It’s flat out, we’re really busy. I could have another ten technicians right now and we still wouldn’t have enough people,” he said.

“We just know it’s going to be one of those cracking seasons.”

Mr Tsoutouras said people could protect themselves from mosquitoes by having regular pest control programs, limiting water sources and potential food sources for the bugs.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said this coming mosquito season was set to be the worst in a decade.

Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

“We haven’t really seen any mosquitoes yet, but they are certainly there and as soon as we get some warm weather, it’s going to explode,” Professor Spurrier said.

“We are concerned, we think this is going to be a really bad mosquito season and people do need to take precautions.”

Professor Spurrier said the flooded Riverland would act as a breeding ground for the pests.

There is a concern for mosquito-borne viruses such as JEV.

“We’re particularly concerned because we had an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus earlier this year … people were more likely infected at the end of last year and then we picked up those infections into the January-February period, but when the mosquitoes were active is around December.” Professor Spurrier said.

“We haven’t had any detected yet but we have really ramped up our surveillance. Now for the public it is the time to act.”

Professor Michael Beard, head of the Viral Pathogenesis Research Labratory at the University of Adelaide said Ross River virus and JEV were the main viruses of concern.

“We could possibly expect there to be cases occurring as the mosquitoes start to ramp up with the amount of water stagnating and creating the perfect breeding environment,” he said.

Professor Beard said while the mosquito season came every year, people should be wary of the numbers.

“It might be exacerbated at this time because of the amount of water,” he said. “So you’re getting a lot more mosquitoes and you’re getting a lot more transmission events that could occur.”

Professor Spurrier recommended those living and working along the at risk areas and living in the eligible postcodes to receive the JEV vaccine. You can see if you’re eligible here.