Arboviral diseases and malaria in Australia, 2010-11: annual report of the National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee

Abstract

The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) received notification of 9,291 cases of disease transmitted by mosquitoes during the 2010-11 season (1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011). The alphaviruses Barmah Forest virus and Ross River virus accounted for 7,515 (81%) of these. There were 133 notifications of dengue virus infection acquired in Australia and 1,133 cases that were acquired overseas, while for 10 cases, the place of acquisition was unknown. The number of overseas acquired cases of dengue continues to rise each year, and these are most frequently acquired in Indonesia. Sentinel chicken, mosquito surveillance, viral detection in mosquitoes and climate modelling are used to provide early warning of arboviral disease activity in Australia. In early 2011, sentinel chickens in south eastern Australia widely seroconverted to flaviviruses. In 2010-11, there were 16 confirmed human cases of Murray Valley encephalitis acquired in Australia. There was one human case of Kunjin virus infection. There were 7 notifications of locally-acquired malaria in Australia and 407 notifications of overseas-acquired malaria during the 2010-11 season.