Zika could arrive via Torres Strait

The Torres Strait could provide a pathway into Australia for the Zika virus, and authorities are on the look out for its arrival, the government says.

Members of Dominican Army fumigating against the virus.

Members of Dominican Army fumigating against the virus. Source: EFE

Health authorities are well aware that the Torres Strait could provide a pathway for the mosquito-borne Zika virus to enter Australia.

Queensland's Health Minister Cameron Dick says monitoring is under way in the remote northern region to ensure it's detected early, should it arrive.

"We'll monitor closely through the Torres Strait. We already do that with a number of infectious diseases," he told reporters in Gladstone on Monday.

"That would possibly be one path of entry into Queensland."

Mr Dick has sought a briefing from the state's chief health officer.

"My advice is that it's not a significant risk to Queensland at this time," he said.

"But we're going to continue to monitor that."

Mr Dick indicated he may raise the need for a co-ordinated, federal response depending on what the briefing said.

He said the virus was carried by mosquitoes that were present in tropical and sub-tropical environments and that meant Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia could wind up being pathways for the disease.

There are currently no reported cases of the virus in Australia.

Zika virus has been linked to severe birth defects and is spreading quickly through the Americas, and many southeast Asian nations are braced for outbreaks.


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Source: AAP



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