title: Disease suspected to be caused by Ross River virus infection of horses.
abstract: Ross River Virus (RRV) was believed to be the cause of acute illness in four horses around the Bellarine peninsula in south-west Victoria, Australia. The horses presented with clinical signs including petechial haemorrhages, lymphadenopathy, distal limb swelling and reluctance to move. Fibrinogen was also elevated in three of the four horses. Whilst no virus was isolated, serological testing revealed elevated RRV IgM titres in all horses indicating acute infection. The outbreak occurred at a time when a known RRV vector, the mosquito Aedes camptorhynchus was recorded at very high levels in the region. This report is one of very few to attribute specific signs of disease to RRV in horses in conjunction with serological evidence of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Industries, Geelong, Vic 3220, Australia. cmeh@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: El-Hage
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McCluskey
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Azuolas
mesh_terms: D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D009033:Culicidae / Q000821:virology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D020234:Gait Ataxia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006736:Horses; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D012398:Ross River virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral