Extract

North Queensland Australia, home of the Great Barrier Reef and the acclaimed Daintree rainforest, has also been the home of annual dengue outbreaks since 1995.1 These outbreaks were the result of importation of dengue via travellers. Most of these outbreaks were small, usually less than 100 cases. But occasionally an outbreak would spread further, resulting in hundreds of cases.2 Given that personal protective measures have shown poor compliance and success,3 the state health department of Queensland Health has developed a comprehensive dengue control program, that through vigorous dengue surveillance and vector control, prevented the virus from establishing in the region.4 However, the rise in regional tourism and air travel,5 especially to Bali and Papua New Guinea, has steadily increased the number of travellers importing dengue viruses into north Queensland. Dengue was the most common laboratory-confirmed diagnosis in travellers from Bali, reported in 5% of returning travellers.6 The primary urban centres of Cairns and Townsville have established populations of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti, and thus are at continual risk of dengue outbreaks initiated by viraemic travellers.

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