Links between dryland salinity, mosquito vectors, and Ross River Virus disease in southern inland Queensland - an example and potential implications

The impacts of dryland salinity on landscapes and agriculture are well documented, but few links have been made to public health. A cluster of cases of Ross River Virus ( RRV) disease in the vicinity of a dryland salinity expression in the town of Warwick, Queensland, has highlighted the potential role of secondary salinity expressions as breeding zones for mosquitoes, including vector species of RRV. It is suggested that further work is required to investigate the matter in Queensland, particularly in relation to the expansion of urban populations in south-east Queensland into old agricultural lands containing secondary salinity expressions.