Biosecurity & Disease Detection in the Torres Strait - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Project 11.2 Biosecurity & Disease Detection in the Torres Strait A/Professor Susan Laurance, Dagmar Meyer Steiger & Professor Scott Ritchie

Emerging Infectious Diseases EBOLA HENDRA EXISTING DISEASE TRANSMITTED TO A NEW HOST CHYTRID AVIAN MALARIA DISEASE MOVED TO A NEW AREA

Understanding Disease Risk • Disease detection is higher in developed world • Disease risk is higher in tropical frontier regions EID Risk EID Detections

Understanding Disease Emergence 1) Human land use 2) Inadequate disease surveillance Novel interactions CO 2 Attractant Power

Papua New Guinea Our research challenge was to work in the Torres Strait – a remote tropical area – and Australia with limited funds

Step 1: Develop & trial novel mosquito sampling methods for remote regions Standard CDC mosquito trap New passive box trap (no power) with CO 2 from yeast & sugar with battery & CO 2 from dry ice

Field trial results Dry ice generates more CO 2 But importantly the same species are caught with yeast attractant (where mosquitoes are abundant RF & Man). Novel method can replace standard sampling for remote areas!

Step 2: Field Study in the Torres Strait A comparison of mosquitoes in villages & native habitat on 4 islands, 2 years X X

Results • ca. 12,000 mosquitoes captured & identified

Where did we capture the medically important mosquitoes? SAIBAI BOIGU BADU MOA Village Bush Village Bush Village Bush Village Bush  Aedes aegypti      Aedes albopictus        Aedes scutellaris     Anopheles farauti         Culex sitiens group      Culex quinquefasciatus    Mansonia unformis     Verrallina funerea

Research Review Community Fact Sheet

Step 3: A novel method for disease detection in mosquito vectors (& capacity building in North Qld) • Sugar-coated FTA cards installed in traps to collect mosquito saliva

Step 3: A novel method for disease detection in mosquito vectors (& capacity building in North Qld) Attempt to extract viral and parasitic RNA/DNA from FTA Cards for: – avian & human Malaria – Dengue – Ross River fever – Kunjin – Japanese encephalitis – Chikungunya Q. How effective is this method with low disease incidence?

Step 4: Future research • Continue to trial different yeast varieties & trap modifications

Conclusions • Torres Strait is one of the most “at risk” communities in Australia with respect to mosquito- borne EID’s

Policy recommendations to manage EID Risk in Torres Strait • Remove larval habitats in villages – rubbish removal highest priority • Fly-screens & treated bednets • New houses - high-set on hard foundations • PNG visitors need to stay in mosquito-safe environs

THANK YOU