SYDNEY, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Northern Queensland grapples with a mounting public health threat from surging mosquito-borne viruses, fueled by climate change and rapid urban growth, new research warns.
The outbreak encompasses dengue, Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses, signaling a deepening threat in the northern part of the Australian state's tropical environment, said a statement from Australia's James Cook University (JCU) on Friday.
National mosquito-borne virus cases nearly doubled between 2023 and 2024, with trends persisting into 2025, said Md. Eram Hosen, PhD candidate from Associate Professor Subir Sarker's Tropical One Health Microbial Lab at JCU.
Hosen, the first author of the research published in Virology, attributed longer transmission seasons to climate change, abundant urban breeding habitats and proximity to Southeast Asia.
Queensland reported 1,701 Ross River virus infections and 378 dengue cases in 2024, plus detections of chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis viruses, the study showed.
Over 900 unclassified flaviviruses, spread by ticks and mosquitoes, have been found across Australia over recent decades, including more than 100 in Queensland alone, exposing detection gaps, it said.
Sarker said Wolbachia controls have curbed dengue but broader threats persist, urging expanded programs with next-generation sequencing and community engagement. ■
