DHF Annual Report 2009 - NT Health Digital Library - Northern ...

of on-shore detections of exotic Aedes mosquitoes in the Darwin port area, one of Aedesalbopictus and three of Aedes aegypti. All were quickly detected and eliminated. The jointsurveillance and control operations with Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)have proven invaluable in keeping these exotic mosquitoes out of the Northern Territory.Medical Entomology regularly sprays by helicopter the Leanyer, Holmes Jungle, Mickettand Shoal Bay swamps and this has helped maintain relatively low numbers of all mosquitospecies in the northern suburbs of Darwin. There was a slight decrease in the area treatedthere was a decrease in the overall number of traps analysed due to a revision of the adultmosquito surveillance program, the average number of mosquitoes trapped and analysedper week in Darwin increased from 152 in 2008-09 to 216 in 2009-10. Active researchcontinues, particularly in conjunction with Charles Darwin University (CDU). One result ofthis research has been improved effectiveness in salt marsh mosquito survey and controlto assist the Timor Leste Ministry of Health (MoH) develop and implement vector controlprograms. Funding available at the end of the project allowed for an extra dengue controltraining workshop to be held in a regional town and insecticide resistance testing to be carriedout in Dili. This enabled further improvements in their dengue vector control programs.A major achievement was the monitoring and aerial control of mosquitoes in Ilparpa swampMedical Entomology in cooperation with Power Water, the Alice Springs Town Council andthe Environmental Health branch was a great success, with common banded mosquitonumbers kept very low.The combined Department/Darwin City Council mosquito engineering program in Darwinin the lower reaches of freshwater Sandy Creek near Royal Darwin Hospital led to animmediate decrease in mosquito numbers in the area. Other work included elimination ofbreeding areas at Vestey’s Lake and Leanyer Swamp.Medical Entomology also provides important advice for all urban development in the NorthernTerritory. A major biting insect investigation and draft report for the proposed new city ofWeddell was completed in June. Biting insects have been nominated as the most importantissue in this development and the report will guide the urban layout and development ofDarwin’s second satellite city. Medical Entomology guidance on biting insects has also beenaccepted and will inform the planning of the new Darwin suburb of Muirhead. In particular,there will be a one kilometre biting insect buffer zone put in place.Community Physician and Injury PreventionThe Safety and Injury Unit maintains its interest in road and water safety by participationin the Road Safety Coordination Group and the Northern Territory Water Safety AdvisoryCouncil and by providing relevant injury data for those groups. In the past 12 months furtherdevelopment work has been done to consolidate the Northern Territory Falls PreventionNetworks. Training workshops for ‘leaders in falls prevention’ were run in both CentralAustralia and the Top End and a falls prevention conference attended by over 95 participantswas held in Darwin in May. The Unit participates on the National Injury Prevention WorkingGroup which is promoting the implementation of the revised National Falls Prevention BestPractice Guidelines, released in November 2009. Alcohol related injury remains an importantfocus and a system for regular reporting of alcohol attributable deaths and hospitalisations156Department Health and Families