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Evolutionary, molecular and comparative zoology
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 53(1)

Prevalence of neutralising antibodies to Barmah Forest, Sindbis and Trubanaman viruses in animals and humans in the south-west of Western Australia

Cheryl A. Johansen A E , John S. Mackenzie B , David W. Smith C and Michael D. A. Lindsay D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Discipline of Microbiology, School of Biomedical and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.

B Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.

C Western Australian Centre for Pathology and Medical Research, Nedlands, WA 6009.

D Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Branch, Western Australian Department of Health, Mt Claremont, WA 6010, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: cjohanse@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Australian Journal of Zoology 53(1) 51-58 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO03042
Submitted: 29 July 2004  Accepted: 15 December 2004   Published: 24 February 2005

Abstract

A study was undertaken in the south-west of Western Australia to investigate potential vertebrate hosts of Barmah Forest virus (BFV), Sindbis virus (SINV) and Trubanaman virus (TRUV) following isolation of these viruses from mosquitoes collected during routine surveillance for arboviruses. Over 3000 animal and human sera collected between 1979 and 1995 were tested for the presence of neutralising antibodies to each of the viruses. The overall prevalence of antibodies to BFV, SINV and TRUV was 0.4%, 0.3% and 1.6%, respectively. Antibodies to BFV were detected only in quokkas (3.2%), horses (1.2%) and humans (0.9%). No definitive evidence of infection with BFV was detected in samples collected prior to 1992, supporting previous suggestions that BFV was introduced into the region after this time. Antibodies to SINV were detected in western native cats (16.7%), emus (4.5%), rabbits (0.8%) and horses (0.7%), and evidence of TRUV infection was most common in western grey kangaroos (21.1%), feral pigs (3.6%), rabbits (2.4%), foxes (2.3%), quokkas (1.6%) and horses (1.6%).


Acknowledgments

The authors thank the many people who provided or assisted with the collection of vertebrate and animal sera for the survey: Dr T. Ellis and Dr S. Sutherland (WA Department of Agriculture, South Perth, WA), Mr G. Martin, Mr P. Mawson, Mr M. Robinson and Dr L. Twigg (WA Agricultural Protection Board, Forrestfield, WA), Mr R. McNeice and Ms N. Underwood (Department of Zoology, UWA), Mr B. Bell (professional kangaroo shooter) and the Western Australian Blood Bank. We also thank Dr R. Watkins (Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA) and Mr K. Murray (School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Western Australia) for advice and assistance with statistical analyses. This study was funded by the Western Australian Department of Health.


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