Tiny pest could kill 'thousands' of pet cats and dogs if it spreads
Invasive fire ants could kill thousands of pet cats and dogs every year if allowed to spread across Australia, researchers say.
Fire ants, an invasive species from South America with an agonising and potentially deadly sting, have already been detected in several Australian states.
Fire ants are a dangerous invasive species in Australia. NSW Department of Primary Industries
They remain a high biosecurity issue.
Although Queensland is the worst affected state, almost all of Australia is habitable for the species, which poses threats to agriculture, the environment, and households.
New research from The Australia Institute has underscored the scale of the disaster of a nationwide infestation and called for more to be done urgently.
International data reviewed by the institute suggested 30 per cent of people in fire ant-infested areas get stung each year, each with the risk of anaphylactic shock.
Pets are also at risk from the bites.
If allowed to spread across Australia, fire ant stings could result in an extra 624,000 medical visits for humans and 2.3 million vet visits for pets.
This could result in more than 30 people and thousands of pets die each year, the institute said.
“If a murderer said that they planned to kill 30 random Australians each year, the response would be enormous,” The Australia Institute research director Rod Campbell said.
“That’s essentially what fire ants are doing – yet the response is minimal.”
The institute said federal funding remained below the $300 million a year recommended by government experts.
“Australia’s government isn’t doing enough to protect people or the economy from fire ants, but perhaps it will act to protect our pets,” Campbell said.
Pets like cats and dogs could be at risk. Getty Images/iStockphoto
“Prime Minister (Anthony) Albanese, a renowned animal lover, could save Australian households $1 billion a year and a lot of heartache by properly funding and prioritising fire ant eradication.”
Fire ants were first detected on Australian shores in Brisbane in 2001, but the National Fire Ant Eradication Program website says they may have been in the country for up to 20 years prior to that.
The Invasive Species Council estimates that 97 per cent of Australia would make a suitable habitat for the invasive species.
“If not eradicated the impacts of fire ants in Australia will surpass the combined damage done each year by our worst pests: feral cats, wild dogs, foxes, camels, rabbits and cane toads,” the NFAEP says.
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