Absence of Ross River virus amongst Common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) from metropolitan Sydney, Australia

Ross River virus (RRV) is a mosquito-transmitted Alphavirus emerging in urban centres throughout Australia. The Common brushtail possum ( Trichosurus vulpecula ), a native marsupial that has successfully adapted to human settlement, has been implicated as a maintenance reservoir for RRV. In the pres...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of wildlife research 2009-06, Vol.55 (3), p.313-316
Main Authors: Hill, Nichola J., Power, Michelle L., Deane, Elizabeth M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alphavirus
Animal diseases
Antibodies
Aquatic insects
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Climate change
Disease transmission
Ecology
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Fish & Wildlife Biology & Management
Freshwater
Human settlements
Land settlement
Life Sciences
Marsupials
Metropolitan areas
Mosquitoes
Populations
Rivers
RNA viruses
Ross River virus
Short Communication
Trichosurus vulpecula
Urban populations
Urbanization
Vector-borne diseases
Viruses
Wildlife
Wildlife habitats
Wildlife management
Woodlands
Zoology
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Summary:Ross River virus (RRV) is a mosquito-transmitted Alphavirus emerging in urban centres throughout Australia. The Common brushtail possum ( Trichosurus vulpecula ), a native marsupial that has successfully adapted to human settlement, has been implicated as a maintenance reservoir for RRV. In the present study, RRV exposure was assessed amongst 72 urban-adapted possums from Northern Sydney and ten possums from a woodland area, remote from urbanisation. Serological screening was performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect RRV antibodies in possum sera. Findings indicated that both possum populations from urban and woodland habitats were negative for the presence of RRV antibodies. Lack of exposure to RRV highlights that the host status of possums is contingent upon factors other than their abundance and proximity to human settlement. In view of the potential for climate change to favour transmission of mosquito-borne disease in Australia, identification of wildlife populations entirely absent of RRV may prove useful for monitoring the predicted spread of the virus.
ISSN:1612-4642
1439-0574
DOI:10.1007/s10344-008-0238-z