Endemic Australian arboviruses of human health significance
David W Smith
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
Department of Microbiology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
Faculty of Health and Medical and Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
Tel: +61 8 6383 4438, Email: david.smith@health.wa.gov.au
Microbiology Australia 39(2) 88-90 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA18024
Published: 13 April 2018
Abstract
Each year many thousands of cases of human arbovirus infection are notified within Australia, acquired either within Australia or when travelling overseas1. These cause diseases varying from fever and aches, to debilitating joint disease, to encephalitis and death. The arboviruses endemic to Australia are all maintained in a cycle between mosquitoes (and rarely midges) and a bird or mammalian host2. As such, the virus activity is dependent on rainfall and temperature conditions that are conducive to mosquito breeding, and to virus replication and amplification (Figure 1). Those conditions being met, there have to be suitable amplifying animal hosts nearby, and their absence is one of the factors that protects most of the larger urban populations in Australia. Then, of course, humans have to be exposed to the infected mosquitoes to get disease.
References
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