Emerging viral diseases of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.

John S Mackenzie ,L.F Wang,Andrew F Van Den Hurk ,Peter D Kirkland ,Alyssa T Pyke ,Peter C Mcminn ,David W Smith ,Peter Daniels ,D J Nisbet ,Cheryl A Johansen ,Scott A Ritchie ,Greg Smith ,Raymond Paru ,Kim Halpin ,Bryan T Eaton ,Hume Field ,Peter Siba ,Roy A Hall ,Kaw Bing Chua ,Sai Kit Lam ,David T Williams

doi:10.3201/eid0707.017703

Abstract

Over the past 6 years, a number of zoonotic and vectorborne viral diseases have emerged in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Vectorborne disease agents discussed in this article include Japanese encephalitis, Barmah Forest, Ross River, and Chikungunya viruses. However, most emerging viruses have been zoonotic, with fruit bats, including flying fox species as the probable wildlife hosts, and these will be discussed as well. The first of these disease agents to emerge was Hendra virus, formerly called equine morbillivirus. This was followed by outbreaks caused by a rabies-related virus, Australian bat lyssavirus, and a virus associated with porcine stillbirths and malformations, Menangle virus. Nipah virus caused an outbreak of fatal pneumonia in pigs and encephalitis in humans in the Malay Peninsula. Most recently, Tioman virus has been isolated from flying foxes, but it has not yet been associated with animal or human disease. Of nonzoonotic viruses, the most important regionally have been enterovirus 71 and HIV.

Highlights

Brisbane, Australia; ¶Queensland Health Tropical Public Health Unit, Cairns, Australia; #Elizabeth McArthur Agricultural Institute, New South Wales, Australia; **Princess Margaret
Vectorborne disease agents discussed in this article include Japanese encephalitis, Barmah Forest, Ross River, and Chikungunya viruses
Most emerging viruses have been zoonotic, with fruit bats, including flying fox species as the probable wildlife hosts, and these will be discussed as well. The first of these disease agents to emerge was Hendra virus, formerly called equine morbillivirus. This was followed by outbreaks caused by a rabies-related virus, Australian bat lyssavirus, and a virus associated with porcine stillbirths and malformations, Menangle virus

Summary

Emerging Viral Diseases of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific

JE Virus JE virus is endemic throughout much of Southeast Asia [9], but, with the exception of serologic evidence of activity on Lombok Island and a single isolate from Flores Island [10], it was not known to occur in the Australasian zoogeographic region It emerged in the Torres Strait of northern Australia in 1995 to cause three cases of encephalitis on Badu Island, two of which were fatal [11,12]. The Badu 2000 isolates appear to be phylogenetically more closely related to viruses from Cambodia, northern Thailand, and Korea Annual case notifications of Ross River (RRV) and Barmah Forest (BFV) virus infections, 1991–1999

RRV BFV

Findings

Other Viral Diseases