AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/23/3100197.htm

Barmah Forest Virus in mozzies at Leeton
Updated 2 hours 54 minutes ago

Mosquitos carrying the Barmah Forest Virus have been detected in the Leeton Shire.

The mosquitos were in a trap managed by the New South Wales Health Department under its Arbovirus Surveillance Program.

The Director of Public Health with the Greater Southern Area Health Service, Tracey Oakman said symptoms of Barmah Forest Virus are similar to Ross River Fever.

She said those bitten tend to feel like they have the flu and they may develop a rash.

The virus is not fatal, but there is no specific treatment...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: Barmah Forest alerts/cases

Re: AU: Barmah Forest alerts/cases

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/02/3127694.htm

Health experts warn of more Barmah Forest virus cases
Posted 1 hour 23 minutes ago

Public health managers in the Goulburn Murray region are warning of a spike in the number of cases of Barmah Forest virus.

The mosquito-borne virus can cause tiredness, a rash, fever and sore and swollen joints, lasting a few days or months.

In Victoria's Hume region, 23 people have been sick with Barmah Forest virus in January, compared to no cases in January last year.

The Murrumbidgee Health Network's director of public health, Tracey Oakman, says there has also been a significant rise in infections in the Riverina.

"For January alone, we had 18 cases of Barmah Forest virus and that's compared to 11 for the entire year the previous year, so we did have a significant increase in January," she said...

 

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Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ross-river-virus-rising-in-sa/story-fn6b3v4f-1225999047282

Ross River virus rising in SA

* Staff Writer
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* February 03, 2011 12:00AM

RISING water in the River Murray has caused a surge in mosquito-borne infections in South Australia.

There have been 351 cases of Ross River virus (RRV) and Barmah Forest virus (BFV) across SA this year so far, compared to only 16 cases at the same time last year, SA Health's chief public health officer Stephen Christley says.

The symptoms caused by these infections may vary in severity from person to person and can include joint pain, rash, fever, fatigue or muscle pain, he said...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/increase-in-mozzie-viruses/2067376.aspx

Increase in mozzie viruses
KAREN SWEENEY
05 Feb, 2011 04:00 AM

THREE cases of the Ross River virus spread by mosquitoes have been reported in the Bendigo area in the past week.

Since January, seven cases have been reported to the Department of Health along with another two cases of the Barmah Forest virus...

 

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Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/02/15/243451_news.html

Alarming increase in Ross River fever cases
Peter Begg | February 15th, 2011

HEALTH authorities have warmed Geelong residents to avoid mosquito bites after a dramatic increase in cases of Ross River fever.

There have been 15 cases of Ross River fever reported to the health department in the Barwon south western region so far this year, the same number as was reported for the whole of last year...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/16/3140418.htm

Ross River virus cases on the rise after floods
Updated 52 minutes ago

A Naracoorte doctor says there has been a big jump in patients he is treating for Ross River virus, since flooding ravaged parts of Victoria and South Australia last month.

Dr Jeff Taylor is treating up to eight people a day for the disease - he previously only treated about five a year for the disease.

He says symptoms include rashes, fever and muscle ache...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/02/17/243451_news.html

Alarming increase in Ross River fever cases
Peter Begg | February 17th, 2011

HEALTH authorities have warned Geelong residents to avoid mosquito bites after a dramatic increase in cases of Ross River fever.

There have been 15 cases of Ross River fever reported to the health department in the Barwon south western region so far this year, the same number as was reported for the whole of last year...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/w...nd-fevers-rise-after-rain-20110217-1ay77.html

Mosquitoes thrive and fevers rise after rain
Julia Medew
February 18, 2011

HUNDREDS of Victorians have fallen ill with Ross River fever and Barmah Forest virus after heavy rainfall caused mosquito numbers to explode in recent months.

A Victorian Health Department spokesman said unseasonably wet and warm conditions had resulted in 196 cases of Ross River fever since January, nearly four times the 51 reported during the same period last year.

Another 81 people have been infected with Barmah Forest virus since January, up from seven during the same period in 2010...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2011/02/21/297821_latest-news.html

Ross River cases rise in Victoria
Sarah Scopelianos | February 21, 2011

UPDATE: VIRUSES carried by mosquitoes are on the increase in the Mildura area as flood water continues to pool on vast areas of land.

According to Victorian Health Department data, cases of Ross River have spiked since last month?s floods.

In the past week 109 new cases across the state have been reported to health officials.

Since the beginning of the year, 286 cases have been reported statewide compared to 59 last year and 13 cases in 2009.

The Loddon Mallee area, which takes in Mildura, and the Grampians region top the state's tally for cases with 92 each. Last year there were only 12 cases in the Loddon Mallee region and three in the Grampians.

Eighty-one people have fallen ill with the Barham Forest virus since the start of the year...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/01/3151897.htm?site=melbourne

Ross River cases jump again
By Stephanie Corsetti
Updated March 1, 2011 13:51:00
Mosquitoes on rise after floods

The Victorian Health Department has detected 53 new cases of Ross River virus in the past week.

So far this year, 393 Victorians have contracted the mosquito-born illness...

 

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Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/8984096/mozzie-virus-cases-double-in-peel/

Mozzie virus cases double in Peel
DANIEL EMERSON, The West Australian March 10, 2011, 6:08 am

A two-fold increase in Ross River virus cases this summer has prompted authorities to treble aerial insecticide bombings in the Peel region, confirming locals' suspicions that the worst mosquito plague in years is upon them.

As the City of Mandurah this week convened a crisis meeting to deal with the pests, decade-old cabinet documents released under Freedom of Information laws reveal the creation of the Dawesville Channel in 1994 heightened the region's mosquito problem by increasing breeding grounds.

Medical entomologist Sue Harrington said this summer's mozzies were breeding for longer, living longer, biting during the day and flying up to 50km.

She said 136 Ross River virus cases had been reported so far this financial year compared with 70 for all of 2009-10.

Ms Harrington said a La Nina ocean current caused higher tides reaching further into the regions of the Mandurah Estuary where the summer saltmarsh mosquito lays its eggs...

 

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Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...to-borne-viruses/story-e6frf7kx-1226019502713

Victoria experiencing surge in mosquito-borne viruses

* Shannon Deery
* From: Herald Sun
* March 11, 2011 8:23AM

VICTORIA is suffering through its worst epidemic of mosquito-borne viruses in more than a decade.

An explosion of the mosquito-borne diseases has prompted health authorities to warn Victorians to protect against bites.

Department of Health figures reveal more than 500 cases of Ross River virus have been reported across the state this year ? five times more than over the same time last year.

Spokesman Bram Alexander said there had also been 107 cases of Barmah Forest virus reported, compared to just seven at the same time last year...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/03/16/248761_news.html

Geelong's Ross River virus cases on the rise
Peter Begg | March 16th, 2011

CASES of the mosquito-borne virus Ross River fever continue to soar in the Geelong region.

There have been 52 cases of Ross River fever reported in the Barwon South Western region so far this year. At the same time last year no cases of the virus had been reported in the area.

Barwon Health has said Ross River fever is not normally found this far south, and was generally confined to northern NSW and Queensland. Although not life-threatening, it can cause a severe arthritis.

Health Department figures show this year's figures are even more dramatic along the Murray River. The Loddon/Mallee region has recorded 233 cases of the virus so far this year, compared to none for the same time last year.

Heath Department spokesman Bram Alexander said the wet weather during the summer months had contributed greatly to mosquito numbers.

"The Grampians region has had 244 cases this year, and the Loddon/Mallee 233, and they both have sections along the Murray River," he said.

"That is not inconsistent with having large mosquito numbers.

"There have been big years in the past, 1993 was a big year and 1997 was another big year, and again the conditions have allowed mosquito numbers to increase to the levels we have seen."

Residents along the Murray River were warned last month about another mosquito-borne disease, the deadly Murray Valley encephalitis virus...

 

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Re: AU: 2011 Ross River/Barmah Forest virus alerts/cases

Source: http://www.busseltonmail.com.au/new...iver-virus-detected-in-busselton/2346091.aspx

Ross River virus detected in Busselton
LUCY RICKARD
03 Nov, 2011 12:46 PM

Ross River virus has continued to spread around the South-West region of the state after the first detection of the virus three weeks ago.

The Department of Health's mosquito and virus surveillance program has detected the virus in mosquito populations in Busselton and Capel.

The risk is currently confined to the Geographe and Leschenault regions, as well as people living near tidal saltmarshes and freshwater wetlands in other coastal parts of the South-West are also at risk...