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'Mosquito explosion' to plague Australia after heavy rainfall

Humid conditions mean Aussies should prepare for a "monster mozzie month", scientists warn.

Wet weather caused by the La Nina weather system is creating perfect conditions for the fiercely annoying blood-thirsty insects.

Australia’s eastern states, along with South Australia, have experienced a wet spring and summer creating what UniSA’s Stephen Fricker has dubbed a "sure-fire recipe for a mosquito explosion".

A young man is swarmed by mosquitos
Mosquito numbers could spike over the coming month due to La Nina. Source: Getty (file)

“You may have already noticed an influx of mozzies around the garden, or annoyingly, inside at night,” Mr Fricker said.

“But while the weather conditions remain muggy, people should be prepared for a monster month of mozzies.”

Mosquitos thrive in La Nina conditions

La Nina remains active in the tropical Pacific, but Bureau of Meteorology modelling suggests it will reach its peak in the coming months.

Typically this weather system will result in heavier than average rainfall throughout the summer.

Modelling showing Australia's La Nina weather system
Bureau of Meteorology modelling suggests La Nina will reach its peak in the coming months, paving the way for mosquitos. Source: BoM

Mosquitos thrive after storms, cyclones and flooding, and can breed in water collected in displaced items as shallow as a bottle cap.

All of the world’s 3500 species of mosquito require water, and after eggs are exposed to it they will generally hatch within 72 hours.

Each female produces around 100 eggs per brood, and she may lay 10 of these in her lifetime — one to two months.

A list of tips that can help people prevent mosquito infestation.
Source: Yahoo / Getty

New mosquito-born diseases to emerge

Mosquitoes are known to harbour a number of diseases that can be spread to humans through their saliva when they bite.

While only a few hundred mosquito species carry pathogens that can harm us, they still manage to kill around 1 million people a year.

While malaria and dengue fever are the most deadly diseases carried by mosquitos worldwide, its Ross River fever that has the most visible impact on Australia's mainland.

It causes flu-like symptoms that usually last for around seven to 10 days, but some sufferers experience joint pain and tiredness for months after being infected.

The effects of increased human mobility, globalisation and climate change will likely see new mosquito-borne diseases emerge and reemerge, evidence suggests.

A 2019 study found if the planet warms by five degrees, more than a billion additional people will be exposed to mosquito-borne diseases by 2080.

UniSA will begin a mosquito tracking study, which readers can contribute to via an app, from February 14.

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