The changing epidemiology of Murray Valley encephalitis in Australia: the 2011 outbreak and a review of the literature

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorSelvey, L.
dc.contributor.authorDailey, L.
dc.contributor.authorLindsay, M.
dc.contributor.authorArmstrong, P.
dc.contributor.authorTobin, S.
dc.contributor.authorKoehler, A.
dc.contributor.authorMarkey, P.
dc.contributor.authorSmith, D.
dc.contributor.editorKasper, M.
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractMurray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) is the most serious of the endemic arboviruses in Australia. It was responsible for six known large outbreaks of encephalitis in south-eastern Australia in the 1900s, with the last comprising 58 cases in 1974. Since then MVEV clinical cases have been largely confined to the western and central parts of northern Australia. In 2011, high-level MVEV activity occurred in south-eastern Australia for the first time since 1974, accompanied by unusually heavy seasonal MVEV activity in northern Australia. This resulted in 17 confirmed cases of MVEV disease across Australia. Record wet season rainfall was recorded in many areas of Australia in the summer and autumn of 2011. This was associated with significant flooding and increased numbers of the mosquito vector and subsequent MVEV activity. This paper documents the outbreak and adds to our knowledge about disease outcomes, epidemiology of disease and the link between the MVEV activity and environmental factors. Clinical and demographic information from the 17 reported cases was obtained. Cases or family members were interviewed about their activities and location during the incubation period. In contrast to outbreaks prior to 2000, the majority of cases were non-Aboriginal adults, and almost half (40%) of the cases acquired MVEV outside their area of residence. All but two cases occurred in areas of known MVEV activity. This outbreak continues to reflect a change in the demographic pattern of human cases of encephalitic MVEV over the last 20 years. In northern Australia, this is associated with the increasing numbers of non-Aboriginal workers and tourists living and travelling in endemic and epidemic areas, and also identifies an association with activities that lead to high mosquito exposure. This outbreak demonstrates that there is an ongoing risk of MVEV encephalitis to the heavily populated areas of south-eastern Australia.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityLinda A. Selvey, Lynne Dailey, Michael Lindsay, Paul Armstrong, Sean Tobin, Ann P. Koehler, Peter G. Markey, David W. Smith
dc.identifier.citationPLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2014; 8(1):e2656-1-e2656-8
dc.identifier.doi10.1371/journal.pntd.0002656
dc.identifier.issn1935-2735
dc.identifier.issn1935-2735
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/97208
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherPublic Library of Science
dc.rights© 2014 Selvey et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002656
dc.subjectAnimals
dc.subjectHumans
dc.subjectEncephalitis Virus, Murray Valley
dc.subjectEncephalitis, Arbovirus
dc.subjectWeather
dc.subjectDisease Outbreaks
dc.subjectAdult
dc.subjectAged
dc.subjectMiddle Aged
dc.subjectChild, Preschool
dc.subjectInfant
dc.subjectAustralia
dc.subjectFemale
dc.subjectMale
dc.subjectYoung Adult
dc.titleThe changing epidemiology of Murray Valley encephalitis in Australia: the 2011 outbreak and a review of the literature
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
hdl_97208.pdf
Size:
385.27 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published version
Download

Collections

Public Health publications