Australia may be at risk of a widespread outbreak of Zika or dengue fever unless more is done to prevent the establishment of exotic mosquitoes in the country, according to a biosecurity expert.
"It is very easy for people to unwittingly bring exotic mosquito eggs back into Australia via water bottles, vases or other belongings," said Cameron Webb, a medical entomologist at Sydney University.
In a paper published in the Sax Institute's journal Public Health Research & Practice, Dr Webb warns about the possible establishment of the Asian tiger mosquito (aedes albopictus) and the Yellow fever mosquito (aedes aegypti) - the main transmitter of Zika globally.
"If these exotic mosquito species find a way to our suburbs and become established, it creates the perfect conditions for a local outbreak of Zika or dengue," Dr Webb said.
"We need to do everything possible to prevent these mosquitoes from establishing themselves here in NSW and other parts of Australia." he said.
One preventative measure Dr Webb would like to see implemented is the expansion of strategic surveillance to include suburban areas as well as wetlands, so that residents are alerted as soon as possible to their presence.
