Ross River Fever (RRF) is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by infection with the Ross River virus. The illness is typically characterised by an influenza-like illness of and polyarthritis. The virus is endemic to Australia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia and several other islands in the South Pacific.
Ross River Fever History
The first outbreak of RRF was in 1928 in the Hay and Narrandera region in New South Wales. The virus was first isolated in 1959 from a mosquito trapped along the Ross River in Townsville. Since outbreaks have occurred in all Australian states, including Tasmania, and metropolitan areas.
Ross River Fever Incidence and Epidemiology
Most notifications are from Queensland, tropical Western Australian and the Northern Territory. Geographical risk factors include areas of higher rainfall and higher maximal tides.
Ross River Fever Transmission
Borne by mosquitos, both person-person and animal-person transmission occurs. The main reservoir hosts are kangaroos and wallabies, although horses, possums and possibly birds and flying foxes play a role. Over 30 species have been implicated as possible vectors, but the major species for Ross River Fever are ''Culex annulirostris'' in inland areas, ''Aedes vigilax'' in northern coastal regions and ''Ae. camptorhynchus'' in southern coastal regions. This indicates that an aberrant innate immune response is responsible for severe disease following RRV infection.
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