The elimination of the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, from Brisbane, Australia: The role of surveillance, larval habitat removal and policy

Abstract

Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) is a highly invasive mosquito whose global distribution has fluctuated dramatically over the last 100 years. In Australia the distribution of Ae. aegypti once spanned the eastern seaboard, for 3,000 km north to south. However, during the 1900s this distribution markedly reduced and the mosquito disappeared from its southern range. Numerous hypotheses have been proffered for this retraction, however quantitative evidence of the mechanisms driving the disappearance are lacking. We examine historical records during the period when Ae. aegypti disappeared from Brisbane, the largest population centre in Queensland, Australia. In particular, we focus on the targeted management of Ae. aegypti by government authorities, that led to local elimination, something rarely observed in large cities. Numerous factors are likely to be responsible including the removal of larval habitat, especially domestic rainwater tanks, in combination with increased mosquito surveillance and regulatory enforcement. This account of historical events as they pertain to the elimination of Ae. aegypti from Brisbane, will inform assessments of the risks posed by recent human responses to climate change and the reintroduction of 300,000 rainwater tanks into the State over the past decade.

Author summary

We examined the historical role that water storage practices and the enforcement of anti-mosquito regulations played in the elimination of Aedes aegypti from Brisbane, a major urban centre in Australia. We examined changes in regulations pertaining to mosquitoes, collected government records documenting surveillance, and the response by the community to the actions of local authorities. Our findings indicate that anti-mosquito regulations, underpinned by effective implementation, were successful in gaining community support and removing the risk of mosquito presence at non-compliant properties. In particular, we argue that the removal of rainwater tanks which provided a permanent larval habitat in otherwise suboptimal environments, played a major role in the elimination of the species from Brisbane. Public Health regulations were supported by a large surveillance effort by local government health officers that were empowered to enforce legislation where necessary. Our findings are of importance to health authorities managing the ongoing expansion of Aedes populations, particularly in regions of sub-optimal climate and where water storage has become a major concern.