Spread of invasive ant major threat to human health, economy in Australian state: report

SYDNEY, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) — A venomous species of invasive ant will kill several people every year and cause significant economic damage if allowed to spread in the Australian state of Queensland, a report warned on Monday.
The report, which was published on Monday by independent think tank the Australia Institute, found that the red imported fire ant (RIFA) will sting over 1.5 million people in Queensland, 30 percent of the population, every year, causing six deaths and 115,679 medical visits if it spreads through the state.
Additionally, the report estimated that the species would cost Queensland households a combined 188 million Australian dollars (130.1 million U.S. dollars) every year if it becomes firmly established.
Previous research from the Australia Institute estimated that the RIFA will cost the Australian economy 22 billion Australian dollars (15.2 billion U.S. dollars) by the 2040s if allowed to spread across the country.
Native to South America, the RIFA has spread to several countries where they pose a significant threat to agricultural production by destroying equipment and damaging crops as well as people with painful stings that can cause severe allergic reactions.
The species was first detected in Australia in Queensland in 2001 and was found in Sydney in 2014 for the first time.
Monday’s report said that southeast Queensland, the most densely populated area of the state, is “ground zero” for fire ants in Australia but that they could spread into northern Queensland by 2035 unless funding for eradication programs is increased.
“RIFA has the potential to inflict enormous environmental, social and economic damage,” the report said.
According to the federal government, fire ants could spread across 97 percent of the Australian mainland and cause 1.25 billion Australian dollars (865.3 million U.S. dollars) in economic damage every year.
In October 2023, the government boosted funding for the National Fire Ant Eradication Program by 268 million Australian dollars (185.5 million U.S. dollars) over four years.
Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers said at the time that if not for the eradication program, which was established in 2001, the RIFA would already infest 100 million hectares of land stretching along the east coast from Queensland to Canberra. ■