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Descriptive overview of the 2011 epidemic of arboviral disease in horses in A ustralia
Author(s) -
Roche SE,
Wicks R,
Garner MG,
East IJ,
Paskin R,
Moloney BJ,
Carr M,
Kirkland P
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/avj.12018
Subject(s) - outbreak , disease , virology , encephalitis , virus , veterinary medicine , biology , medicine , pathology
Objective To provide an overview and descriptive analysis of the 2011 arboviral disease epidemic in horses that involved three important A ustralian mosquito‐borne viruses: M urray V alley encephalitis virus, W est N ile virus ( K unjin strain) and R oss R iver virus. Methods Data from states affected between J anuary and J une 2011 were collated and comprised reports of horses showing signs of neuromuscular disease and the associated laboratory findings. A summary of the data is presented, together with a spatiotemporal analysis of cases and preliminary assessment of rainfall patterns and case distribution. Results A total of 982 cases of equine arboviral disease were reported across A ustralia between J anuary and J une 2011. The majority of cases were reported from south‐east A ustralia and included horses that developed neurological signs consistent with encephalitis. It was the largest epidemic of equine arboviral disease in A ustralia's history. Two likely causes for this unprecedented epidemic were the unusual weather events that preceded the epidemic and the emergence of a new strain of K unjin virus. Conclusions The epidemic highlights to horse owners and policy makers the potential for future outbreaks of arboviral diseases and the need for vigilance. It also highlights the complex interactions among hosts, vectors and climatic conditions that are required for such an outbreak to occur.