Wet season adult mosquito trapping and larval mosquito surveys were carried out in April 2021 on the Tiwi Islands, following a fatal case of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) that was acquired in February 2021 and confirmed in June 2021. The April mosquito investigation was carried out before the case was officially confirmed, due to early pathological evidence of JE. This was the first locally acquired case of JE in the NT.
The adult mosquito trapping program subsequently increased in scale during the 2021/2022 wet season and was continued until May 2024. In addition, larval mosquito surveys were carried out around the township of Wurrumiyanga (Bathurst Island), with public messaging also implemented to warn the public of the potential JE risk.