Mosquito Control

Arbovirus surveillance and monitoring program 

The NSW Health Arbovirus Surveillance and Monitoring Program aims to provide an early recognition of mosquito-borne disease risk for the community. The Program monitors mosquito numbers through trapping, determines predominant mosquito species, and tests the mosquitoes to see if they are carrying viruses. 

Within South Eastern Sydney Local Health District there have been scattered cases and outbreaks of infection due to the arboviruses Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus. In these cases, it is believed that infection results from the bites of the saltmarsh mosquito (Aedes vigilax) carrying the virus. It is suspected that mosquitoes pick up the virus from marsupial hosts, especially wallabies and kangaroos. Reports on arbovirus infections in residents and mosquito trapping in the Health District are found here. 

There are two trapping sites within the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District along Georges River at Alfords Point and Illawong.  During the mosquito season, generally November to April, environmental health officers from the Public Health Unit set and collect traps each week and deliver mosquito collections to the Department of Medical Entomology, Institute for Clinical Pathology and Medical Research (ICPMR), at Westmead Hospital for analysis.  For more information, please see NSW Health Vector Borne Surveillance and The NSW Arbovirus Surveillance & Vector Monitoring Program.

Japanese Encephalitis (JE) 

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a serious disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). It is spread to humans by infected mosquitoes. Humans are not able to pass JEV to other humans. 

NSW Health is monitoring the evolving situation in NSW concerning Japanese encephalitis virus and further information is avaiable from here. 

Contact us 

To contact the Environmental Health team for more information about mosquito control, please email us or phone (02) 9382 8333 during business hours.