Phylogenetic and Timescale Analysis of Barmah Forest Virus as Inferred from Genome Sequence Analysis.

Barmah Forest virus (BFV) is a medically important mosquito-borne alphavirus endemic to Australia. Symptomatic disease can be a major cause of morbidity, associated with fever, rash, and debilitating arthralgia. BFV disease is similar to that caused by Ross River virus (RRV), the other major Australian alphavirus.

The Diversity and Distribution of Viruses Associated with Mosquitoes from the Kimberley Region of Western Australia.

Metagenomics revealed an impressive breadth of previously unrecognized viruses. Here, we report the virome of the Skuse mosquito, an important vector of pathogenic arboviruses in Australia. Mosquitoes were collected from three sites in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Genome-Scale Phylogeny and Evolutionary Analysis of Ross River Virus Reveals Periodic Sweeps of Lineage Dominance in Western Australia, 1977-2014.

Ross River virus (RRV), an alphavirus of the family, is the most medically significant mosquito-borne virus of Australia. Past RRV phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses have been based on partial genome analyses only. Three geographically distinct RRV lineages, the Eastern, the Western, and the supposedly extinct North-Eastern lineage, were classified previously.

Evaluation of a Health Communication Campaign to Improve Mosquito Awareness and Prevention Practices in Western Australia.

represents the Department of Health's first attempt to actively raise awareness and improve prevention practices related to mosquitoes in Western Australia (WA). The multi-faceted campaign model involved a range of stakeholders and delivery methods over a 2 year period, achieving a recall rate of 8.2% among 2,500 survey participants.

Mosquito and Virus Surveillance as a Predictor of Human Ross River Virus Infection in South-West Western Australia: How Useful Is It?

Mosquito and virus surveillance systems are widely used in Western Australia (WA) to support public health efforts to reduce mosquito-borne disease. However, these programs are costly to maintain on a long-term basis. Therefore, we aimed to assess the validity of mosquito numbers and Ross River virus (RRV) isolates from surveillance trap sites as predictors of human RRV cases in south-west WA between 2003 and 2014.

The ecology and epidemiology of Ross River and Murray Valley encephalitis viruses in Western Australia: examples of One Health in Action.

Arboviruses are maintained and transmitted through an alternating biological cycle in arthropods and vertebrates, with largely incidental disease in humans and animals. As such, they provide excellent examples of One Health, as their health impact is inextricably linked to their vertebrate hosts, their arthropod vectors and the environment. Prevention and control requires a comprehensive understanding of these interactions, and how they may be effectively and safely modified.

Proximity to mosquito breeding habitat and Ross River virus risk in the Peel region of Western Australia.

It is intuitive that vector-borne disease exposure risk is related to proximity to sources of vector breeding, but this aspect rarely receives empirical testing. The population of Western Australia (WA) is increasing rapidly, with many new residential developments proposed in close proximity to mosquito breeding habitat. However, potential mosquito-borne disease risks for future residents are given little consideration by planning authorities.

The seroprevalence and factors associated with Ross river virus infection in western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) in Western Australia.

A serosurvey was undertaken in 15 locations in the midwest to southwest of Western Australia (WA) to investigate the seroprevalence of Ross River virus (RRV) neutralizing antibodies and factors associated with infection in western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). The estimated seroprevalence in 2632 kangaroo samples, using a serum neutralization test, was 43.9% (95% CI 42.

Ross River virus risk associated with dispersal of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) camptorhynchus (Thomson) from breeding habitat into surrounding residential areas: muddy lakes, Western Australia.

Rapid population growth in Western Australia has resulted in increased development of land for residential housing, and new developments are often proposed close to water because of intrinsic aesthetic values. However, this placement may place future residents at risk of mosquito-borne disease, of which Ross River virus (RRV) disease is the most common in Australia. Mosquito dispersal data were combined with a spatial analysis of human RRV cases to show that mosquitoes dispersed readily from larval habitat into surrounding low- and high-density residential areas and that residents living within 2 km of mosquito breeding habitat had a significantly higher rate of RRV disease.

Geographic Information Systems used to describe the link between the risk of Ross River virus infection and proximity to the Leschenault estuary, WA.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between risk of Ross River virus (RRV) infection and proximity to mosquito-breeding habitat surrounding a tidal wetland ecosystem in south-west Australia.

Methods: Geographic information systems (GIS) were used to spatially map cases of RRV disease in the Leschenault region between July 1995 and June 1996. Half kilometre buffer zones were constructed around the Leschenault Estuary and associated waterways; RRV disease case counts were calculated for each zone.

Is there an association between dryland salinity and Ross River virus disease in southwestern Australia?

Land use change has the potential to cause severe ecosystem degradation and drive changes in disease transmission and emergence. Broadscale clearing of native vegetation for agriculture in southwestern Australia has resulted in severe ecosystem degradation, which has been compounded by the subsequent development of large areas of dryland salinity. The mosquito-borne disease, Ross River virus (RRV), has been noted as a potential adverse human health outcome in these salinity affected regions.

Epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies to Ross River virus in vertebrate sera.

We describe the development of an epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the sensitive and rapid detection of antibodies to Ross River virus (RRV) in human sera and known vertebrate host species. This ELISA provides an alternative method for the serodiagnosis of RRV infections.

First record of Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans vexans (Meigen) in Australia.

Aedes (Aedimorphus) vexans vexans has become widely distributed in the Australasian and Oceanic Islands zoogeographic regions, and in this paper, we describe the 1st confirmed report of Ae. vexans vexans in Australia. A total of 45 adult individuals were collected around the town of Kununurra in the northeast Kimberley region of Western Australia during the late wet seasons between 1996 and 2003.

Antigenic and genetic typing of Whataroa viruses in Australia.

We recently characterized three novel alphaviruses isolated from mosquitoes captured in New South Wales, Australia. Initial cross-neutralization studies revealed antigenic similarity to the Sindbis virus (SINV)-like Whataroa virus (WHAV), heretofore found only in New Zealand. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the WHAV-like viruses shared >99% nucleotide sequence similarity with each other, and 96-97% similarity with prototype WHAV.

Epizootic activity of Murray Valley encephalitis and Kunjin viruses in an aboriginal community in the southeast Kimberley region of Western Australia: results of mosquito fauna and virus isolation studies.

We undertook annual surveys of flavivirus activity in the community of Billiluna in the southeast Kimberley region of Western Australia between 1989 and 2001 [corrected]. Culex annulirostris was the dominant mosquito species, particularly in years of above average rains and flooding. Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus was isolated in 8 of the 13 years of the study from seven mosquito species, but more than 90% of the isolates were from Cx.

Investigation of the southern limits of Murray Valley encephalitis activity in Western Australia during the 2000 wet season.

Western Australia experienced its worst-ever outbreak of the mosquito-borne Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus during the 2000 wet season. Highest-on-record rainfall throughout much of the state during the 2000 wet season gave rise to extensive mosquito breeding and increased MVE virus transmission, resulting in nine cases of encephalitis. Activity of MVE virus in Western Australia is monitored by detecting MVE virus-specific antibodies in serum from sentinel chickens, located at towns and communities throughout the north of the state.

Epizootic activity of Murray Valley encephalitis virus in an aboriginal community in the southeast Kimberley region of Western Australia: results of cross-sectional and longitudinal serologic studies.

Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus causing severe encephalitis with a resultant high morbidity and mortality. In the period 1989-1993, we undertook a cross-sectional and longitudinal study by annually screening members of a small remote Aboriginal community in northwestern Australia for MVE virus antibodies. Of the estimated 250-300 people in the community, 249 were tested, and 52.