Abstract
Control of arboviral disease is dependent on the sensitive and timely detection of elevated virus activity or the identification of emergent or exotic viruses. The emergence of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in northern Australia revealed numerous problems with performing arbovirus surveillance in remote locations. A sentinel pig programme detected JEV activity, although there were a number of financial, logistical, diagnostic and ethical limitations. A system was developed which detected viral RNA in mosquitoes collected by solar or propane powered CO2-baited traps. However, this method was hampered by trap-component malfunction, microbial contamination and large mosquito numbers which overwhelmed diagnostic capabilities. A novel approach involves allowing mosquitoes within a box trap to probe a sugar-baited nucleic-acid preservation card that is processed for expectorated arboviruses. In a longitudinal field trial, both Ross River and Barmah Forest viruses were detected numerous times from multiple traps over different weeks. Further refinements, including the development of unpowered traps and use of yeast-generated CO2, could enhance the applicability of this system to remote locations. New diagnostic technology, such as next generation sequencing and biosensors, will increase the capacity for recognizing emergent or exotic viruses, while cloud computing platforms will facilitate rapid dissemination of data.
Highlights
Over 75 different arboviruses have been isolated in Australia, with some being the aetiological agents of human disease [1]
Ross River virus (RRV) and Barmah Forest virus (BFV), both belonging to the genus Alphavirus, are responsible for the greatest number of annual disease notifications [2]
We describe the history of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) surveillance in Australia and the development of a novel surveillance system for JEV in remote locations, which has application for other arboviruses, both within Australia and overseas
Summary
Over 75 different arboviruses have been isolated in Australia, with some being the aetiological agents of human disease [1]. A comprehensive surveillance strategy is essential to ensure that elevated or emergent virus activity is detected before an outbreak occurs, as well as for establishing a baseline of arbovirus activity. The mainland Australian states maintain proactive mosquito and sentinel animal-based arbovirus surveillance programmes, which are primarily used to detect elevated RRV and MVEV activity. The emergence of JEV in northern Australia highlighted a number of unique problems which compromised the implementation of a sustainable surveillance programme to detect future incursions of the virus. This area of northern Australia, encompassing the Torres Strait and Cape York Peninsula is remote, located hundreds of kilometres from diagnostic laboratories. We describe the history of JEV surveillance in Australia and the development of a novel surveillance system for JEV in remote locations, which has application for other arboviruses, both within Australia and overseas
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