AdelaideNow... SA scientists can predict dangerous mosquito plagues

AdelaideNow... SA scientists can predict dangerous mosquito plagues:

Excellent news out of Australia...these kinds of predictive models can be a tremendous asset in mosquito control efforts.

"The warning system could be the latest weapon in the fight against dengue and Ross River fever, University of Adelaide ecologist Associate Professor Corey Bradshaw says.
'This model is a tool that helps predict when there is going to be a higher-than-average outbreak so that population control efforts can be implemented when they are going to be most effective and are most needed,' he said.
The researchers analysed 15 years of data on the northern Australian mosquito that transmits the Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses. They compared population size to environmental factors, such as tides and rainfall.
'Basic environmental monitoring data can be coupled with relatively simple population models to assist in predicting the timing and magnitude of mosquito peaks which lead to disease outbreaks in human populations,' Associate Professor Bradshaw said."