Infection au virus de la forêt de Barmah

Barmah Forest virus is an RNA virus classified within the genus Alphavirus, named for the Barmah Forest region of northern Victoria where it was first identified in 1974 ^[1]. It is an arbovirus transmitted to humans exclusively through infected mosquito bites and is maintained in nature primarily by marsupial hosts such as possums, kangaroos, and wallabies ^[1].

Infected persons commonly experience fever, malaise, rash, joint pain, and muscle tenderness ^[1]. Fever and malaise typically subside within days to a week, whereas arthralgia may continue for six months or longer in some cases, with most achieving full recovery within weeks to a year ^[1]. The symptom profile resembles that of Ross River virus infection but generally persists less long than the latter ^[1].

The virus is endemic throughout Australia and has expanded from subtropical northern Victoria to coastal New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia, with seasonal peaks in summer and autumn and a spring peak in southwest WA ^[1]. A retrospective review of Tasmania's notifiable disease database identified 27 confirmed cases from 1999 through June 2019, including an eight-case outbreak acquired locally in the Break O'Day area in early 2019 ^[2].

Human infection occurs solely through the bite of infected mosquitoes, with species such as Aedes vigilax and Culex annulirostris implicated as vectors ^[1]. Direct contact with infected people or animals does not transmit the virus, and the natural host reservoir is mainly marsupials including possums, kangaroos, and wallabies ^[1].

Evidence indicates a positive association between higher temperatures and increased BFV notification risk in Australia, with geographic variation suggesting that tailored prevention strategies should account for coastal and inland differences ^[3].

1. 1 Wikipedia contributors. Barmah Forest virus - Wikipedia [Internet]. Wikipedia. cited 23 Oct 2026. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barmah_Forest_virus
2. 2 Dyke H et al. The first confirmed outbreak of Barmah Forest virus in Tasmania - 2019. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2023 Apr. PMID: 37004338. doi: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100039. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37004338/
3. 3 Varghese CM et al. The impact of temperature on Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus infection in Australia: A scoping review. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2026 Feb. PMID: 41407624. doi: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100291. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41407624/
4. 4 Lopes Marques CD et al. Arboviruses related with chronic musculoskeletal symptoms. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2020 Aug. PMID: 32312678. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2020.101502. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32312678/