Associations Between Ross River Virus Infection in Humans and Vector-Vertebrate Community Ecology in Brisbane, Australia
Author(s)
Skinner, Eloise B
Murphy, Amanda
Jansen, Cassie C
Shivas, Martin A
McCallum, Hamish
Onn, Michael B
Reid, Simon A
Peel, Alison J
Year published
2020
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Transmission of vector-borne pathogens can vary in complexity from single-vector, single-host systems through to multivector, multihost vertebrate systems. Understanding the dynamics of transmission is important for disease prevention efforts, but is dependent on disentangling complex interactions within coupled natural systems. Ross River virus (RRV) is a multivector multihost pathogen responsible for the greatest number of notified vector-borne pathogen infections in humans in Australia. Current evidence suggests that nonhuman vertebrates are critical for the maintenance and spillover of RRV into mosquito populations. Yet, ...
View more >Transmission of vector-borne pathogens can vary in complexity from single-vector, single-host systems through to multivector, multihost vertebrate systems. Understanding the dynamics of transmission is important for disease prevention efforts, but is dependent on disentangling complex interactions within coupled natural systems. Ross River virus (RRV) is a multivector multihost pathogen responsible for the greatest number of notified vector-borne pathogen infections in humans in Australia. Current evidence suggests that nonhuman vertebrates are critical for the maintenance and spillover of RRV into mosquito populations. Yet, there is a limited knowledge of which mosquito vector species and amplifying vertebrate host species are most important for transmission of RRV to humans. We conducted field surveys of nonhuman vertebrates and mosquitoes in the RRV endemic city of Brisbane, Australia, to assess the effect of vector and host community structure on human RRV notifications. Six suburbs were selected across a gradient of human disease notification rates. Differences in vertebrate and mosquito compositions were observed across all suburbs. Suburbs with higher RRV notification rates contained greater vertebrate biomass (dominated by the presence of horses) and higher mosquito abundances. This study suggests that horse-mosquito interactions should be considered in more detail and that vertebrate biomass and mosquito abundance be incorporated into future RRV modeling studies and considered in public health strategies for RRV management.
View less >
View more >Transmission of vector-borne pathogens can vary in complexity from single-vector, single-host systems through to multivector, multihost vertebrate systems. Understanding the dynamics of transmission is important for disease prevention efforts, but is dependent on disentangling complex interactions within coupled natural systems. Ross River virus (RRV) is a multivector multihost pathogen responsible for the greatest number of notified vector-borne pathogen infections in humans in Australia. Current evidence suggests that nonhuman vertebrates are critical for the maintenance and spillover of RRV into mosquito populations. Yet, there is a limited knowledge of which mosquito vector species and amplifying vertebrate host species are most important for transmission of RRV to humans. We conducted field surveys of nonhuman vertebrates and mosquitoes in the RRV endemic city of Brisbane, Australia, to assess the effect of vector and host community structure on human RRV notifications. Six suburbs were selected across a gradient of human disease notification rates. Differences in vertebrate and mosquito compositions were observed across all suburbs. Suburbs with higher RRV notification rates contained greater vertebrate biomass (dominated by the presence of horses) and higher mosquito abundances. This study suggests that horse-mosquito interactions should be considered in more detail and that vertebrate biomass and mosquito abundance be incorporated into future RRV modeling studies and considered in public health strategies for RRV management.
View less >
Journal Title
Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
Note
This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.
Subject
Health services and systems
Public health
Epidemiology
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Infectious Diseases
arbovirus ecology