308 - Australia's National Border Vector Monitoring Program - current state and challenges.

Australia’s National Vector Monitoring Program has been defending their border from exotic mosquito incursions for decades. The Australian federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry conducts surveillance at ~85 first point of entry locations, identifies ~300,000 mosquito samples annually and detects and responds to an average of 21 exotic mosquito detections per year in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders. Within the last decade there have been substantial increases in detections of exotic mosquitoes (predominantly Aedes species) at the border, involving breakbulk cargo, oversize tyres and likely Unit Load Devices. As the international risk increases, the program is presented with several challenges in both effectively managing responses as well as reducing receptivity of border environment. Despite such challenges, the Australian mainland remains free of establishment of many exotics of concern such as Aedes albopictus.