Be a 'Zika Mozzie Seeker'

Recruiting now for egg trapping in April 2019! Sign up here. Registrations close 26 April 2019.

We need your help to search for 'Zika mosquitoes' (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus species - that have the potential to spread viruses such as Zika or dengue).

As part of the 'Zika Mozzie Seeker' project, we're asking the public in our region to set up DIY backyard mosquito egg traps, collect the eggs and send them in for analysis.

The project uses revolutionary screening technology developed by Queensland Health and is a world-first for mosquito monitoring.

We will mass screen the eggs for the DNA of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This will allow us to increase our confidence that such mosquitoes are not in our region and detect any invasions of these mosquitoes more easily.

Find out more

What kind of mozzies are we looking for?

Zika and Dengue are largely spread by two domestic mosquito species (Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus). These 'Zika mosquitoes' are present elsewhere in Queensland but have not been detected in South East Queensland recently. This project will help us search for these mosquitoes (especially Aedes aegypti) and confirm our belief that they are not present in our region of South East Queensland.

'Zika mosquitoes' are domestic species – they live in backyards and the adults are unlikely to fly more than 200 metres from breeding sites (commonly artificial containers that hold water).

How do I take part?

We are looking for Zika Mozzie Seekers to take part in the next stage of the project during April and May 2019. Please sign up by 26 April 2019 to take part and receive your free 'mozzie egg collection kit'.

Note: to take part you must live in the Metro South Health region ( https://metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/msh-sub... ): Brisbane southside, Logan, Redland/Bayside, Beaudesert and parts of the Scenic Rim.

Please click here to register online.

What happens once I have registered?

You will be sent a free a 'egg collection kit' in the post, which provides all the items you need (apart from a container filled with water) to create your mozzie egg trap. Also look out for project updates via email and SMS.

Useful links and more mozzie info

Reports

• Embracing Innovation in Government: Global Trends 2019 (Observatory of Public Sector Innovation report featuring Zika Mozzie Seeker)
• Queensland Citizen Science Strategy (featuring Zika Mozzie Seeker)

Research articles

• Rapid Surveillance for Vector Presence (RSVP)

Related projects

Mozzie Monitors (University of South Australia – participants trap mozzies and send photographs of the mozzies to researchers)