This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Harley, D.
Right arrow Articles by Ritchie, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Harley, D.
Right arrow Articles by Ritchie, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, October 2001, p. 909-932, Vol. 14, No. 4
0893-8512/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/CMR.14.4.909-932.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Ross River Virus Transmission, Infection, and Disease: a Cross-Disciplinary Review

David Harley,1,2 Adrian Sleigh,1,* and Scott Ritchie2

Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health and Nutrition, Medical School, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006,1 and Tropical Public Health Unit, Queensland Health, Cairns 4870,2 Queensland, Australia

Ross River virus (RRV) is a fascinating, important arbovirus that is endemic and enzootic in Australia and Papua New Guinea and was epidemic in the South Pacific in 1979 and 1980. Infection with RRV may cause disease in humans, typically presenting as peripheral polyarthralgia or arthritis, sometimes with fever and rash. RRV disease notifications in Australia average 5,000 per year. The first well-described outbreak occurred in 1928. During World War II there were more outbreaks, and the name epidemic polyarthritis was applied. During a 1956 outbreak, epidemic polyarthritis was linked serologically to a group A arbovirus (Alphavirus). The virus was subsequently isolated from Aedes vigilax mosquitoes in 1963 and then from epidemic polyarthritis patients. We review the literature on the evolutionary biology of RRV, immune response to infection, pathogenesis, serologic diagnosis, disease manifestations, the extraordinary variety of vertebrate hosts, mosquito vectors, and transmission cycles, antibody prevalence, epidemiology of asymptomatic and symptomatic human infection, infection risks, and public health impact. RRV arthritis is due to joint infection, and treatment is currently based on empirical anti-inflammatory regimens. Further research on pathogenesis may improve understanding of the natural history of this disease and lead to new treatment strategies. The burden of morbidity is considerable, and the virus could spread to other countries. To justify and design preventive programs, we need accurate data on economic costs and better understanding of transmission and behavioral and environmental risks.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health and Nutrition, The University of Queensland Medical School, Herston Rd., Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia. Phone: (617) 3365 5587. E-mail: A.Sleigh{at}mailbox.uq.edu.au.

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, October 2001, p. 909-932, Vol. 14, No. 4
0893-8512/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/CMR.14.4.909-932.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Morrison, T. E., Simmons, J. D., Heise, M. T. (2008). Complement Receptor 3 Promotes Severe Ross River Virus-Induced Disease. J. Virol. 82: 11263-11272 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ying Zhang, , Peng Bi, , Hiller, J. E. (2008). Climate Change and the Transmission of Vector-Borne Diseases: A Review. Asia Pac J Public Health 20: 64-76 [Abstract]  
  • Powers, A. M., Logue, C. H. (2007). Changing patterns of chikungunya virus: re-emergence of a zoonotic arbovirus. J. Gen. Virol. 88: 2363-2377 [Full Text]  
  • Morrison, T. E., Fraser, R. J., Smith, P. N., Mahalingam, S., Heise, M. T. (2007). Complement Contributes to Inflammatory Tissue Destruction in a Mouse Model of Ross River Virus-Induced Disease. J. Virol. 81: 5132-5143 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • HU, W., TONG, S., MENGERSEN, K., OLDENBURG, B. (2007). EXPLORATORY SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCIDENCE OF ROSS RIVER VIRUS IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA. Am J Trop Med Hyg 76: 814-819 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hickie, I., Davenport, T., Wakefield, D., Vollmer-Conna, U., Cameron, B., Vernon, S. D, Reeves, W. C, Lloyd, A., Dubbo Infection Outcomes Study Group, (2006). Post-infective and chronic fatigue syndromes precipitated by viral and non-viral pathogens: prospective cohort study. BMJ 333: 575- [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Morrison, T. E., Whitmore, A. C., Shabman, R. S., Lidbury, B. A., Mahalingam, S., Heise, M. T. (2006). Characterization of Ross River Virus Tropism and Virus-Induced Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Viral Arthritis and Myositis. J. Virol. 80: 737-749 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • GATTON, M. L., KAY, B. H., RYAN, P. A. (2005). ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF ROSS RIVER VIRUS DISEASE OUTBREAKS IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. Am J Trop Med Hyg 72: 792-799 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Harley, D., Ritchie, S., Bain, C., Sleigh, A. C (2005). Risks for Ross River virus disease in tropical Australia. Int J Epidemiol 34: 548-555 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • GATTON, M. L., KELLY-HOPE, L. A., KAY, B. H., RYAN, P. A. (2004). SPATIAL-TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF ROSS RIVER VIRUS DISEASE PATTERNS IN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. Am J Trop Med Hyg 71: 629-635 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • HU, W., NICHOLLS, N., LINDSAY, M., DALE, P., McMICHAEL, A. J., MACKENZIE, J. S., TONG, S. (2004). DEVELOPMENT OF A PREDICTIVE MODEL FOR ROSS RIVER VIRUS DISEASE IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA. Am J Trop Med Hyg 71: 129-137 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kahl, C. A., Marsh, J., Fyffe, J., Sanders, D. A., Cornetta, K. (2004). Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Derived Lentivirus Vectors Pseudotyped with Envelope Glycoproteins Derived from Ross River Virus and Semliki Forest Virus. J. Virol. 78: 1421-1430 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»