Insect-Borne Disease and Australia :: Diseases Health Medical Essays

Insect-Borne Disease and Australia Insect borne diseases loom as a potential threat in many countries including Australia. Australia has been relatively free of insect-borne diseases compared to other southern land masses such as South America and Africa. Australia has several characteristics that influence the prevalence of insect-borne disease. Some these features include low altitudes, tropical forests, Southern Oscillation, and the fact that Australia is an island continent. Some of the most common insect-borne diseases of concern in Australia include Murray Valley encephalitis, Malaria, Dengue fever, Ross Valley virus and Yellow fever. The most common vector in Australia is the mosquito, in particular Aedes aegypti, which is the Dengue vector. Dengue fever is a flavivirus and is the greatest insect-borne disease threat in Australia. Two presentations of Dengue fever are known; classic Dengue fever and Dengue hemorrhagic fever. Classic Dengue fever is fairly common, usually in urban areas, and usually not life threatening. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a very serious illness. Dengue is usually isolated to North Queensland, which is brought in by infected international travelers and maintained by the large Aedes aegypti population in Queensland. Australia and north Queensland have implemented management plans to control and eradicate Dengue fever and other potential insect-borne viruses. Keys to this plan are disease surveillance, mosquito control and surveillance, and education. Introduction Insect-borne diseases are a common threat to travelers, especially when traveling to tropical countries. Insect-borne diseases are usually transmitted by mosquitoes and are caused by several types of microorganisms. Vaccinations, mosquito control, and education are common methods utilized in minimizing the effects of insect-borne disease. In this paper I will attempt to give an overview of insect-borne disease in Australia. In doing this, I plan on describing the most common insect-borne diseases in Australia, the vectors behind these diseases, and common methods used in prevention of insect-borne disease in Australia. Australian Geographical Features Compared to other southern land masses, such as South America and Africa, Australia has been and is relatively free of insect-borne disease (Kettle 1993).