Arbovirus and mosquito monitoring reports

SA Health is the lead control agency in South Australia for human disease epidemics, including outbreaks of serious human arboviral disease. We work collaboratively with local councils (as relevant public health authorities for their areas) to support arbovirus prevention and mosquito surveillance and control programs.

Current hierarchy of response level 2 – Medium (March 2025)

On 8 January 2025, SA Health raised the mosquito-borne disease threat level to 2 (medium) in South Australia. This was because of the following recent interstate flavivirus detections:

  • Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was detected in feral pigs (Sept 2024) and trapped mosquitoes (Dec 2024) in NSW.
  • Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) was detected in sentinel chickens (Dec 2024) in NSW.
  • A probable human case of Japanese encephalitis was notified in Victoria (Dec 2024).

Recent arbovirus risk indicators

Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV)

MVEV was detected in mosquitoes trapped along the River Murray during January 2023 in the Renmark Paringa, Loxton Waikerie, Berri Barmera, Mid Murray and Murray Bridge council areas.

There was one confirmed human case of MVEV reported in South Australia in May 2023. MVEV was also detected in sentinel chickens in Mannum and Paringa in January 2023, and Clare, Qualco, Swan Reach and Meningie in February 2023.

West Nile virus Kunjin variant (WNV/KUN)

WNV/KUN was detected in trapped mosquitoes in the Loxton Waikerie council and Berri Barmera council areas in February 2023. WNV/KUN was also detected in sentinel chickens at Clare in February 2023, Paringa in April 2023 and Swan Reach in January 2024.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection

JEV infection - There was one confirmed human case of JEV infection reported during the 2022/23 season (reported December 2022) who resides in the Riverland region.

Other mosquito-borne viruses

Other viruses being closely monitored are Ross River virus (RRV) and Barmah Forest virus (BFV). Very high detects of RRV and BFV in trapped mosquitoes were reported in South Australia during the 2022/23 season.

Mosquito surveillance

Nine councils in areas that are high-risk for mosquito-borne disease or subject to periods of severe nuisance biting currently participate in a mosquito surveillance program. Mosquitoes trapped are submitted to the Agriculture Victoria Research laboratory for mosquito species identification, counting and viral testing. Data is reported to SA Health for monitoring and analysis.

The absence of positive detections does not mean there are no infected mosquitos in the area. The risk of mosquito-borne disease is high across South Australia, so it’s important to Fight the Bite and avoid being bitten.

Sentinel chicken surveillance

Seven flocks of five chickens each have been established in South Australia to check for infection of JEV, MVEV and WNV/KUN. Blood samples are collected from the chickens during peak mosquito season. The aim of the program is to monitor for viruses in the environment. Chickens are a good indicator of serious mosquito-borne disease risk to the community, as they readily produce antibodies to these viruses if infected, without developing symptoms.

Monthly SA arbovirus and mosquito reports

The SA arbovirus and mosquito reports summarise the most recent available data to inform the current level of risk of mosquito-borne disease in SA. The reports detail:

  • mosquito abundance at trapping sites
  • arbovirus disease notifications
  • arboviral detections in mosquitoes and sentinel chicken flocks
  • meteorological data relevant to mosquito abundance.

Monthly reports

See below the previous 12 months reports:

The South Australian Arbovirus Management Strategy

The South Australian Arbovirus Management Strategy (PDF 686KB) replaces and builds on the successes and learnings from the South Australian Arbovirus Coordinated Control and Operations Plan 2015. The Strategy highlights emerging issues and identifies opportunities to progress in protecting the South Australian community from serious arboviral disease. It acknowledges the importance of a coordinated and collaborative approach to effectively manage arboviral disease risks in South Australia.

The South Australian Arbovirus and Mosquito Monitoring and Control Plan

The South Australian Arbovirus and Mosquito Monitoring and Control Plan (PDF 551KB) has been developed to support the goals and strategic priorities detailed in the Strategy. The aim of the Plan is to inform mosquito surveillance and control activities commensurate to the local arbovirus risk.

Graded response level

The data contained within the monthly reports determines the appropriate graded response in accordance with the South Australian Arbovirus and Mosquito Monitoring and Control Plan (PDF 551KB) hierarchy of response. The Plan provides for the management of risks related to mosquito borne disease in SA.

Annual reports

The South Australian Arbovirus and Mosquito Monitoring and Control Annual Report for the 2023-2024 season (PDF 1MB) summarises mosquito-borne disease notification data from South Australia, as well as the various mosquito surveillance and control activities undertaken by the Department for Health and Wellbeing and local health authorities across the state.

Previous reports