Mosquito-borne diseases return to pre-drought levels
8 August 2003
As Australia returns to pre-drought levels of arbovirus infection, that is, viral infection transmitted from animals to people via insects, efforts are underway to increase awareness of mosquito-borne diseases.
Arbovirus infections can cause illnesses such as encephalitis (brain inflammation) and serious fever. Arbovirus infections that have been recorded in Australia include Murray Valley encephalitis, Ross River virus, kunjin, dengue and Barmah Forest virus.
A dedicated arbovirus website would be launched within a month, and responses to worst-case scenarios were being planned, federal communicable diseases adviser Dr Moira McKinnon said.
A national plan was being developed to ensure readiness for a Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) outbreak, and incursions of Japanese encephalitis or West Nile virus, said Dr McKinnon, who chairs the National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee.
The committee is particularly concerned about increased MVE activity monitored in sentinel chickens. Of all the arbovirus infections in Australia, it causes the most severe disease, with a 20 per cent case fatality rate.
The new website, at www.health.gov.au, will update health professionals and the public with alerts, surveillance figures, geographic distribution and research.
Rains earlier this year have fuelled high rates of mosquito-borne disease, with a dengue outbreak in north Queensland and 16 cases of kunjin in northern Australia. Ross River virus has been prevalent in South-East Queensland and northern NSW.
National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance figures show 2923 cases of Ross River virus to 15 July this year, compared with 1457 for 2002, and 3353 for 2001. Barmah Forest virus cases are at record levels, with 1038 notifications nationally so far this year, compared with 900 last year and 1158 in 2001.
High notifications may also reflect increased testing in the wake of alerts sent to GPs in April, Queensland public health medical officer Dr Andrew Langley said.
Last Reviewed: 08 August 2003
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