WELLINGTON, April 1– New Zealand has intensified mosquito surveillance after Aedes aegypti larvae, an exotic species that can transmit dengue and Zika, were found at Auckland’s Queens Wharf.
There is no evidence that the mosquitoes have become established, but intensive monitoring and trapping will take place for at least three weeks, within 400 meters of the site where the larvae were identified, Medical Officer of Health David Sinclair said in a statement on Wednesday.
Health New Zealand is working with the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Auckland Council and the Port of Auckland to locate and remove potential mosquito breeding sites.
Members of the public are being urged to eliminate standing water and avoid disturbing monitoring traps, the statement noted. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
