As mosquitoes become more resistant to insecticides in the Pacific, James Cook University scientists are heading to Fiji to help stop mosquito-borne diseases becoming a critical threat to public health.
Tessa Knox is a Senior Research Fellow at JCU's Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine and member of the Pacific mosquito surveillance team PacMOSSI. She said common control methods like insecticide sprays are losing their effectiveness as mosquitoes develop more resistance.
"This makes it harder to combat diseases like dengue, Zika and chikungunya. The problem is there is limited recent data on resistance across many Pacific nations - we don't know if the threat is emerging or to what extent it's already present," said Dr Knox.
This week, scientists from the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services, JCU, The Pacific Community, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and Beyond Essential Systems will be conducting a week-long training course for Pacific island health professionals in Suva.
"Participants will gain valuable hands-on experience, from laboratory techniques to field applications, to strengthen vector surveillance and control across the Pacific. We aim to equip participants with the tools and expertise to generate valuable resistance data upon return to their respective countries and to use it to tailor their mosquito control strategies," said Dr Knox.
At the opening ceremony for the course, Acting Chief Health Inspector of the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services Mr Luke Vonotabua said mosquito-borne diseases are a burden not only to Fiji but to all of their neighbours.
"So far this year, Fiji, Samoa, Tokelau and French Polynesia have declared dengue outbreaks. To put an end to this, we need to work together. We need to have a well-trained workforce who are equipped with the resources to be able to respond to health threats when needed."
Dr Amanda Murphy, PacMOSSI Coordinator at JCU said the training is an important component of broader initiatives of the PacMOSSI consortium.
" By empowering local staff with techniques, supplies and data systems for resistance monitoring, we are fostering stronger vector control programs across the Pacific," said Dr Murphy.
The training curriculum covers essential areas such as:
- Identifying mosquito species to understand their local distributions.
- Collecting larvae and raising Aedes mosquitoes in insectaries for testing.
- Performing WHO tube tests to determine susceptibility to insecticides.
- Using resistance data for effective intervention planning.
"This training is very important for my country," said Tabomoa Tinte from the Kiribati Ministry of Health and Medical Services. "We have arboviruses that cause human disease, and resistance monitoring will help inform decisions on effective insecticides to control mosquitoes."
The training will run from 25 to 29 November, concluding with participants ready to apply their skills in local settings and contribute to national and regional data on insecticide resistance.
For more information about the 2024 PacMOSSI training or future programs, please see: www.pacmossi.org
Pacific Mosquito Surveillance Strengthening for Impact – PacMOSSI – is a consortium supporting Pacific Island Countries and areas to combat mosquito-borne diseases through strengthened surveillance and control.
It is coordinated by James Cook University in collaboration with The Pacific Community and other international partners like the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and Beyond Essential Systems.
PacMOSSI is supported by the Australian Government through Partnerships for a Healthy Region, the French Government and the European Union.
