Mosquito-Borne Viruses and Non-Human Vertebrates in Australia: A Review

Ong, Oselyne T. W.; Skinner, Eloise B.; Johnson, Brian J.; Old, Julie M.

doi:10.3390/v13020265

Cited by 18 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 199 publications

(121 reference statements)

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“…In Australia, at least thirteen arboviruses have been associated with human disease. Some of the endemic zoonotic arboviruses, such as BFV and RRV, are maintained in complex, poorly understood transmission cycles, involving a broad range of mosquito species and potential vertebrate hosts (Mackenzie et al, 1994; Ong et al, 2021). As a result, transmission pathways may differ geographically and temporally, leading to variable human transmission risks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term co-circulation of multiple arboviruses in southeast Australia revealed by xeno-monitoring and metatranscriptomics

Julia S. P. Vieira,

Onn,

Shivas

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Arbovirus surveillance of wild-caught mosquitoes is an affordable and sensitive means of monitoring virus transmission dynamics at various spatial-temporal scales, and emergence and re-emergence during epidemic and interepidemic periods. A variety of molecular diagnostics for arbovirus screening of mosquitoes (known as xeno-monitoring) are available, but most provide limited information about virus diversity. PCR-based screening coupled with metatranscriptomics is an increasingly affordable and sensitive pipeline for integrating complete viral genome sequencing into surveillance programs. This enables large-scale, high-throughput arbovirus screening from diverse samples. We collected mosquitoes in CO2-baited light traps from five urban parks in Brisbane from March 2021 to May 2022. Mosquito pools of ≤200 specimens were screened for alphaviruses and orthoflaviviruses using virus genus-specific primers and reverse transcription quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). A subset of virus-positive samples was then processed using a mosquito-specific ribosomal RNA depletion method and then sequenced on the Illumina NextSeq. Overall, 54,670 mosquitoes, representing 26 species were screened in 382 pools. Thirty detections of arboviruses were made in 28 pools. Twenty of these positive pools were further characterised using meta-transcriptomics generating 18 full-length genomes. These full-length sequences belonged to four medically relevant arboviruses: Barmah Forest, Ross River, Sindbis-like and Stratford viruses. Phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses revealed the evolutionary progression of arbovirus lineages over the last 100 years, highlighting long-distance dispersal across the Australian continent and continuous circulation characterised by constant turnover of virus lineages.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term co-circulation of multiple arboviruses in southeast Australia revealed by xeno-monitoring and metatranscriptomics

Julia S. P. Vieira,

Onn,

Shivas

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…Newly emerged female mosquitoes seek out blood meals to obtain protein for egg production, and in doing so may acquire an arbovirus from an infected host animal. 31 To enable subsequent transmission to a human, the arbovirus must multiply through replication within the mosquito and disseminate into the mosquito's salivary glands. 32 This takes around five to seven days.…”

Section: Some Species Of Mosquitoes Includingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weather extremes associated with increased Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus notifications in NSW: learnings for public health response

Hime

Wickens

Doggett

et al. 2022

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health

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Objective: To examine the sequence of environmental and entomological events prior to a substantial increase in Ross River virus (RRV) and Barmah Forest virus (BFV) notifications with a view to informing future public health response.Methods: Rainfall, tidal, mosquito and human arboviral notification data were analysed to determine the temporality of events.Results: Following two extremely dry years, there was a substantial increase in the abundance of mosquitoes along coastal New South Wales (NSW) two weeks after a significant rainfall event and high tides in February 2020. Subsequently, RRV and BFV notifications in north east NSW began to increase eight and nine weeks respectively after the high rainfall, with RRV notifications peaking 12 weeks after the high rainfall.Conclusions: Mosquito bite avoidance messaging should be instigated within two weeks of high summer rainfall, especially after an extended dry period.Implications for public health: Intense summertime rain events, which are expected to increase in frequency in south-east Australia with climate change, can lead to significant increases in arboviral disease. These events need to be recognised by public health practitioners to facilitate timely public health response. This has taken on added importance since the emergence of Japanese encephalitis virus in southeastern Australia in 2022.

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“…Epidemics and deaths, caused by disease, are notoriously difficult to detect when the evidence, in the form of carcasses, disappear from view very quickly after death [201][202][203]. Bats, such as flying foxes, are known vectors of disease [204][205][206][207][208] but the role of other native mammal species is less studied. More research is required in order to examine the disease prevalence in different native species in northern Australia, and which could be triggered to become epidemics in stressed populations of mammals.…”

Section: Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gaps in Monitoring Leave Northern Australian Mammal Fauna with Uncertain Futures

Preece

Fitzsimons

2022

Diversity

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Northern Australian biomes hold high biodiversity values within largely intact vegetation complexes, yet many species of mammals, and some other taxa, are endangered. Recently, six mammal species were added to the 20 or so already listed in the Australian endangered category. Current predictions suggest that nine species of mammal in northern Australia are in imminent danger of extinction within 20 years. We examine the robustness of the assumptions of status and trends in light of the low levels of monitoring of species and ecosystems across northern Australia, including monitoring the effects of management actions. The causes of the declines include a warming climate, pest species, changed fire regimes, grazing by introduced herbivores, and diseases, and work to help species and ecosystems recover is being conducted across the region. Indigenous custodians who work on the land have the potential and capacity to provide a significant human resource to tackle the challenge of species recovery. By working with non-Indigenous researchers and conservation managers, and with adequate support and incentives, many improvements in species’ downward trajectories could be made. We propose a strategy to establish a network of monitoring sites based on a pragmatic approach by prioritizing particular bioregions. The policies that determine research and monitoring investment need to be re-set and new and modified approaches need to be implemented urgently. The funding needs to be returned to levels that are adequate for the task. At present resourcing levels, species are likely to become extinct through an avoidable attrition process.

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Mosquito-Borne Viruses and Non-Human Vertebrates in Australia: A Review

Cited by 18 publications

References 199 publications

Long-term co-circulation of multiple arboviruses in southeast Australia revealed by xeno-monitoring and metatranscriptomics

Long-term co-circulation of multiple arboviruses in southeast Australia revealed by xeno-monitoring and metatranscriptomics

Weather extremes associated with increased Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus notifications in NSW: learnings for public health response

Gaps in Monitoring Leave Northern Australian Mammal Fauna with Uncertain Futures

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