Mosquito-borne diseases in Australia
March 24, 2011
Recent floods and heavy rainfall in the eastern states of Australia have triggered an increase in mosquito-borne viral diseases this year.
Several such viral diseases are endemic to Australia, including Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus and Murray Valley Encephalitis virus. In addition, Dengue virus and the malaria parasite are brought into the country by international travellers.
Significant increases in the number of people diagnosed with Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus infection have been reported in South Australia and Victoria. Increased prevalence of Murray Valley Encephalitis virus has also been detected by sentinel chicken monitoring, although no human cases have been confirmed.
Read more about this in issue 61 of WQRA's public health newsletter HealthStream.
