Ross River virus infection is a mosquito-borne arboviral disease that represents the most common and widespread arboviral infection in Australia and is increasingly recognized as an emerging infection in the Pacific Islands and potentially worldwide [1][2][3]. It can produce chronic, long-term debilitating arthritogenic illness in humans and horses [1].
Disease overview
Evidence-backed information EN 5/7 applicable sections · ZH 5/7 applicable sections Updated Oct 23, 2026
Ross River virus infection is regarded as a potentially emerging arboviral disease of global concern and remains the most common human arboviral infection in Australia, with an estimated annual economic burden of $4.3 billion [1]. It is also prevalent across Australia and the Pacific Islands and is transmitted by mosquitoes, with temperature positively associated with infection risk [1][2][3]. No licensed vaccines or therapeutics are currently available, though candidate products are under investigation [1].
Read the full clinical and epidemiological profile 6
Infection with Ross River virus (RRV) in humans and horses can cause chronic, long-term debilitating arthritogenic illnesses [1]. Current knowledge of immunopathogenesis remains to be elucidated and is mainly inferred from a murine model that only partially resembles clinical signs and pathology in humans and horses [1].
Ross River virus infection is the most common human arboviral disease in Australia, with approximately 4,800 national notifications per year and an estimated yearly economic cost of $4.3 billion [1][3]. Its transmission epidemiology is complex and multifactorial, further complicated by climate change and making predictive modeling difficult [1]. Future disease dynamics are expected to shift into temperate Australian regions with longer active infection periods [1][3].
Ross River virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and has been shown to be capable of vertical transmission from infected mosquitoes to offspring across multiple species in natural and experimental settings [4]. Temperature is positively associated with transmission risk, with a pooled relative risk of 1.09 per 1 °C increase and variation across climate zones [2]. Transmission peaks at lower thermal optima (25–26 °C) compared with other tropical pathogens, and warming may increase or decrease transmission depending on local thermal conditions [5].
No registered vaccines or approved therapeutics currently exist to prevent or treat Ross River virus infection, though clinical trials of candidate drugs and vaccines are underway [1].
- 1 Yuen KY et al. Ross River Virus Infection: A Cross-Disciplinary Review with a Veterinary Perspective. Pathogens. 2021 Mar 17. PMID: 33802851. doi: 10.3390/pathogens10030357. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33802851/
- 2 Damtew YT et al. Associations between temperature and Ross river virus infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence. Acta Trop. 2022 Jul. PMID: 35405101. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106454. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35405101/
- 3 Jacups SP et al. Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus infections: a review of history, ecology, and predictive models, with implications for tropical northern Australia. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2008 Apr. PMID: 18279007. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0152. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18279007/
- 4 Mbaoma OC et al. Significance of vertical transmission of arboviruses in mosquito-borne disease epidemiology. Parasit Vectors. 2025 Apr 9. PMID: 40205559. doi: 10.1186/s13071-025-06761-8. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40205559/
- 5 Mordecai EA et al. Thermal biology of mosquito-borne disease. Ecol Lett. 2019 Oct. PMID: 31286630. doi: 10.1111/ele.13335. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31286630/
Loading current data…
Country surveillance trends
Choose a country, source, and measure. Each line retains its published reporting period and definition.
Loading data…
Coverage
Reporting countries and regions
The map shows reporting coverage. Select a measure or open a shaded location to inspect its data.
Loading current data…
Surveillance pattern
Year × month seasonality by country
Review one country’s published monthly values by year. Empty cells indicate values the source did not publish.
Loading official alerts…
Downloads and methods
Choose a time range and download CSV, JSON or XLSX files.