A mosquito species located on Australia's mainland for the first time has the potential to spread the dangerous dengue fever virus to major population centres, experts warn.
Queensland Health entomologist Professor Scott Ritchie said the Asian tiger mosquito (aedes albopictus) could survive in more temperate climates than the other dengue-spreading mosquito, aedes aegytpi, which is endemic to northern parts of Australia.
"It could potentially establish in Brisbane and Sydney and maybe even Melbourne," Prof Ritchie told AAP.
"This mosquito has a reputation for invasion of new areas.
"It's all through the southern quarter of the US, it's throughout most of south America, it's gotten into southern Europe, so we are sort of the last guy standing with this mosquito."
Prof Ritchie said Asian tiger mosquito larvae had been identified from samples taken from near Mapoon, in northern Cape York, in March but have only recently been identified.
The mosquito has become established in the Torres Strait in recent years but this is the first time it has been located on the mainland.
In addition to dengue, the Asian tiger mosquito has been associated with the potentially fatal chikungunya fever
Queensland Health officers are currently scouring northern Cape York to identify whether the mosquito, which was most likely brought over in a dinghy, had spread.
Authorities have been working for several years to keep the mosquito away from the major Torres Strait transport hubs of Horn Island and Thursday Island to reduce the risk of it spreading to the mainland among travellers' belongings.
"There is always going to be the threat of this thing being introduced on the mainland," Prof Ritchie said.
"The quarantine aspect of it is critical."
