Mosquitoes and marsupials are driving Ross River Virus spread across Australia

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-02-16 06:00

Australia; VIC; QLD; SA; WA; TAS; NT

Image by Himas Rafeek from Pixabay

The presence of two mosquito species, along with kangaroos, possums, and seasonal factors are driving the spread of Ross River Virus across Australia, according to new research, which also found that 43% of infections may go unreported. Ross River virus (RRV) is one of the most common mosquito-borne diseases in Australia, yet exactly what is driving its spread across regions is poorly understood. The researchers modelled the importance of different mosquito species, wildlife hosts, and a range of seasonal and transmission effects to explain the patterns of Ross River Virus notifications in Australia. They say their models showed that combinations of two mosquito species, two marsupial hosts, and seasonal effects best explain the pattern of spread.

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Journal/
conference: PLOS Pathogens

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Tasmania, CSIRO, The University of Melbourne, Victorian Government, University of South Australia

Funder: Financial support for this project was provided through the Funding Initiative for Mosquito Management In Western Australia Research Grants (to SC and ISK), administered by the Department of Health, Western Australia

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