Mosquitoes are a natural part of our environment. They can be a nuisance, and when they bite, some can spread serious disease such as Ross River virus or Barmah Forest virus infections. Both infections can be debilitating to humans and symptoms can include rash, flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, joint and muscle pains (swelling or stiffness), fatigue, depression and being generally unwell.

Using simple personal and household protection measures allows us to live with mosquitoes and reduce the risk of disease. These measures include:

• Cover up - Wear long, loose fitting, light coloured clothing.
• Repel - Use insect repellent containing DEET (diethyl toluamide) or picaridin and always follow instructions on the label.
• Eliminate - Stop mosquitoes breeding in water pooling around your property.

For more information visit SA Health Fight the Bite.

Council in conjunction with SA Health undertake a range of mosquito monitoring and control services, which are determined by the risk of the season (i.e. low or high). Council maintains a seasonal mosquito monitoring and control program with monitoring sites established at Loxton, Loxton North, Moorook, Kingston-on-Murray, Waikerie and Paisley.