title: Waterbird movement across the Great Dividing Range and implications for arbovirus irruption into southern Victoria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Waterbirds are the major hosts of various arboviruses. Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) is an arbovirus native to northern Australia, the major hosts of which are Phalacrocoraciformes (cormorants), Ciconiiformes (herons) and other waterbirds. MVEV is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes and can cause acute encephalomyelitis. In Victoria, MVEV is restricted to the northern side of the Great Dividing Range (GDR), suggesting that waterbirds cannot cross the high country.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We tested this hypothesis by analysing data on waterbird banding and recovery and discovered that 12 species can cross the GDR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Waterbirds have the potential to carry arboviruses, including MVEV, into southern Victoria.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Science, and Institute for Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University St Albans campus, Melbourne MC, Victoria 8001, Australia. patrick.guay@vu.edu.au
authors.forename: P-J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Guay
authors.forename: Jk
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Azuolas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Warner
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001102:Arbovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D001717:Birds; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance / Q000662:veterinary; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology