VIRUS LEVELS AT L OW MARK

THE number of North Queenslanders being struck down by mosquito- borne viruses is the lowest in six years.

But health authorities are warning recent rain combined with general complacency could provide the perfect breeding conditions for an outbreak of the debilitating dengue and Zika viruses.

The Townsville Public Health Unit’s 12 reportable mosquito- borne viruses are each at their lowest levels since at least 2012 for cases between January 1 and October 15.

Of most concern to doctors are the dengue and Zika viruses, which are carried by foreign Aedes aegypti mosquitos that breed in waterfilled containers around the home.

Barmah Forest and Ross River viruses are spread by mosquitoes from infected animals.

Eleven dengue cases have been recorded by the TPHU so far this year, drastically down from 48 last year and a peak of 69 for the same period in 2014.

Only one Zika case has been detected in the past 10 months, down from eight last year.

TPHU director Dr Steven Donohue confirmed it had been a “very quiet year” for mosquito- borne viruses with no recorded outbreaks or imported cases of dengue and Zika. But he said a strong threat remained. “When numbers reduce, people think of it less and people don’t go to doctors and doctors don’t test as much,” he said.