'Drought-proofing' Australia's urban regions by installing large domestic water tanks may enable the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti to regain its foothold across the country and expand its range of possible infections, according to a new study published May 5 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Dr Nigel Beebe and colleagues from the University of Queensland, CSIRO Entomology, the Australian Army Malaria Institute, and the Communicable Diseases Branch of Queensland Health, Brisbane, challenge the common assumption that climate change will drive the spread of this mosquito, suggesting instead that the real driver is human behavior. The study combines current and forecasted climate change conditions with historical epidemics to reveal the risk of dengue infections in all capital cities around Australia by 2050. Beebe and colleagues developed and critically assessed their models to project the distribution of the mosquito in 2030 and 2050. Currently, dengue fever occurs in Queensland only. However, the implementation of new water tanks, combined with already warm summer temperatures, could enable the mosquito to re-emerge and further its current reach.