Ross River virus and its vectors in Sorell Municipal Area, south-eastern Tasmania, January to March 2002

Authors

  • Greg J Robertson Sorell Council, PO Box 126, Sorell, TAS 7172
  • Stephen Doggett Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney and ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales
  • Owen Seeman Department of Primary Industries Water and Environment, Newtown, Tasmania
  • Richard C Russell Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney and ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales
  • John Clancy Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney and ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales
  • John Haniotis Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney and ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2004.28.28

Keywords:

Ross River virus, Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus

Abstract

In 2002, Tasmania reported the largest number of Ross River virus (RRV) infections ever recorded for the state. Of the 117 cases, 37 lived in, or had visited, the Sorell Municipal Area, east of Hobart. In early 2002, a combination of spring tides and high summer rainfall produced extensive saltmarsh habitat in the Sorell region, resulting in unseasonably high densities of the mosquito Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus, recognised vector of RRV. Four isolates of RRV were identified from collections of adult mosquitoes. All four isolates were from Oc. camptorhynchus, collected near the Carlton River. This is the furthest south that RRV has been identifi ed in Australia and the fi rst identifi cation from south-east Tasmania. The virus carriage rate in the mosquito vector populations were very high, with successive weekly minimum infection rates of 17.1, 3.0 and 11.1 per 1,000 Oc. camptorhynchus at Carlton River from mid-February
to early March. The fi rst isolation of RRV from mosquitoes coincided with the onset dates of the first human cases of RRV infection. Commun Dis Intell 2004;28:261–266

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Published

30/06/04

How to Cite

Robertson, Greg J, Stephen Doggett, Owen Seeman, Richard C Russell, John Clancy, and John Haniotis. 2004. “Ross River Virus and Its Vectors in Sorell Municipal Area, South-Eastern Tasmania, January to March 2002”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 28 (June):261-66. https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2004.28.28.

Issue

Vol. 28 (2004)

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Original article

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