In 1998, the Southern Saltmarsh Mosquito Aedes camptorhynchus (‘Campto’) was accidentally transported from Australia to Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand, from where it dispersed to another 10 localities mainly on the North Island. After an investment of NZ$70 million over 10 years, this saltmarsh carrier of Ross River virus was eradicated in a world-first program which surprised many. How did it get there? How did it spread? How did the team cope when it arrived at Kaipara Harbour, said to be the largest harbour in New Zealand? This book draws together the entire unprecedented campaign, uncovering the twists and turns and nasty surprises the team had to deal with along the way. Written in an approachable way, it also contains new unpublished technical information which will be sought after by professionals.
