The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is asking people to check their rainwater tanks, following research showing that unsealed and damaged tanks could expose millions of Australians to mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever.
Scientist at CSIRO, Brendan Trewin said the Aedes aegypti mosquito infected hundreds of millions of people across the globe each year with dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.
He said that in Australia the mosquito was mostly found in North Queensland but also existed in a number of towns in the Wide Bay region closer to Brisbane.
“Previous studies had suggested that conditions in Brisbane were inhospitable for the species during winter, but our findings show that rainwater tanks could provide year-long protection for the Aedes aegypti mosquito in Brisbane and other sub-tropical areas of Australia,” Dr Trewin said.
He said it was believed that more than 40 per cent of Brisbane properties now had rainwater tanks, although the number could be much higher as there is no formal registration or monitoring procedure.
“The last time Brisbane had significant Aedes aegypti and dengue epidemics they also had a lot of unsealed rainwater tanks, and our research suggests it was the decision to remove these tanks in the 1950s that was one of the keys to driving the disease-carrying mosquito out of the city,” Dr Trewin said.
“We are not suggesting that rainwater tanks should be removed, but we think it is important for people to be aware that if their rainwater tanks are not maintained properly, large areas of Southern Australia may see the return of the Aedes aegypti and other exotic disease vectors.”
Dr Trewin said many people were unknowingly adding to the risk by making modifications to their tank like removing the sieve that collected leaves from the roof and gutters, or adding modified downpipes.
“Biosecurity is just as important in the backyard, as it is at the border,” he said.
