Mosquito vector control in the Northern Territory

In 1972 the Northern Territory Department of Health established a small Medical Entomology Branch to investigate and organise control of insects of medical importance in the Northern Territory, with an emphasis on the mosquito vectors of malaria. The Northern Territory was one of the first States or Territories to set up such a unit devoted solely to the above purpose and to have a full time medical entomologist with state wide responsibility. As a result of the 1974 Australian encephalitis outbreak, the need for research and control of mosquito borne diseases on an Australia-wide basis became apparent. The Commonwealth Department of Health established financial assistance to the States and Territories in late 1974, under the Australian Encephalitis Control Program. This early assistance contributed towards the equipment and operational needs of the Medical Entomology Section and aided the establishment of mosquito control programs in Alice Springs, Darwin, Nhulunbuy and Alyangula. The control programs in the various towns were carried out with assistance from the various local councils, corporations or mining companies, in co-operation with the local departmental health surveyors or with direct assistance from the Medical Entomology Section. The guidance of vector control operations by the various operational bodies was undertaken by the Medical Entomology Section. The process of gathering medical entomology data on a Territory wide basis was started, in order to establish vector control operations on a more scientific basis.