Barmah Forest virus

Barmah Forest virus
BFV
Structure of Barmah Forest virus by cryo-electron microscopy. EMD-1886[1]
Virus classification Edit this classification
(unranked): Virus
Realm: Riboviria
Kingdom: Orthornavirae
Phylum: Kitrinoviricota
Class: Alsuviricetes
Order: Martellivirales
Family: Togaviridae
Genus: Alphavirus
Species:
Barmah Forest virus

Barmah Forest virus is an RNA virus in the genus Alphavirus. This disease was named after the Barmah Forest in the northern Victoria region of Australia, where it was first isolated in 1974.[2][3] It is passed to vertebrate hosts almost exclusively by mosquitoes,[4] the first case in humans being documented in 1986.[5] As of 2023, it is widespread in Australia and there is some evidence of local transmission in Papua New Guinea.[6][7]

Although there is no specific treatment for infection with the Barmah Forest virus, the disease is non-fatal and most infected people recover.[1][8] The virus has gradually spread from the sub-tropical northern areas of Victoria to the coastal regions of New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia (WA). People are more likely to contract the disease in summer and autumn in Australia. In the south west of WA, however, spring has been found to have the highest incidence.[5]

  1. ^ a b Kostyuchenko, Victor A.; Jakana, Joanita; Liu, Xiangan; Haddow, Andrew D.; Aung, Myint; Weaver, Scott C.; Chiu, Wah & Lok, Shee-Mei (2011). "The Structure of Barmah Forest Virus as Revealed by Cryo-Electron Microscopy at a 6-Angstrom Resolution Has Detailed Transmembrane Protein Architecture and Interactions". Journal of Virology. 85 (18): 9327–9333. doi:10.1128/JVI.05015-11. PMC 3165765. PMID 21752915.
  2. ^ Cashman, Patrick; Hueston, Linda; Durrheim, David; Massey, Peter; Doggett, Stephen & Russell, Richard C. (2008). "Barmah Forest virus serology: implications for diagnosis and public health action". Communicable Diseases Intelligence. 32 (2): 263–266. PMID 18767428. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  3. ^ "Barmah Forest Virus Disease". Department of Health, Victoria. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  4. ^ Smith, David W.; Speers, David J. & Mackenzie, John S. (2011). "The viruses of Australia and the risk to tourists". Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease. 9 (3): 113–125. doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2010.05.005. PMID 21679887.
  5. ^ a b Hueston, Linda; Toi, Cheryl S.; Jeoffreys, Neisha; Sorrell, Tanya & Gilbert, Gwendolyn (2013). "Diagnosis of Barmah Forest virus infection by a nested real-time SYBR green RT-PCR assay". PLOS ONE. 8 (7): E65197. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...865197H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065197. PMC 3720699. PMID 23935816.
  6. ^ Caly, Leon; Horwood, Paul F.; Vijaykrishna, Dhanasekaran; Lynch, Stacey; Greenhill, Andrew R.; Pomat, William; Rai, Glennis; Kisa, Debbie; Bande, Grace; Druce, Julian & Abdad, Mohammad Y. (2019). "Divergent Barmah Forest Virus from Papua New Guinea". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 25 (12): 2266–2269. doi:10.3201/eid2512.191070. ISSN 1080-6059. PMC 6874237. PMID 31742504.
  7. ^ Kizu, Joanne G.; Graham, Melissa; Grant, Richard; McCallum, Fiona; McPherson, Brady; Auliff, Alyson; Kaminiel, Peter & Liu, Wenjun (2023). "Prevalence of Barmah Forest Virus, Chikungunya Virus and Ross River Virus Antibodies among Papua New Guinea Military Personnel before 2019". Viruses. 15 (2): 394. doi:10.3390/v15020394. ISSN 1999-4915. PMC 9966107. PMID 36851608.
  8. ^ "Barmah Forest Virus". Queensland Government. 12 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.