An Epidemic of Ross River Virus Infection in Fiji, 1979

Sindbis-Group Alphavirus Replication in Periosteum and Endosteum of Long Bones in Adult Mice

“…Chikungunya and O'nyong-nyong viruses have caused massive epidemics of acute, debilitating arthralgia in Africa and Asia (reviewed in reference 10). Ross River virus, the etiologic agent of epidemic polyarthritis, is endemic to Australia (2,10,28), and it caused a major epidemic that swept the South Pacific islands in 1979, affecting 50,000 people on the island of Fiji (1). Sindbis-group alphaviruses, including Ockelbo virus, Karelian fever virus, and GirdwoodS.A.…”

Combating infectious diseases in the Pacific Islands: sentinel surveillance, environmental health, and geospatial tools

“…In 1979-1980, a Ross River virus outbreak in the Pacific Islands resulted in > 500,000 cases and affected 90% of the population in Fiji, 69% in the Cook Islands, 44% in American Samoa, and 33% in New Caledonia (10)(11)(12). The newly introduced virus was thought to have arrived via a viraemic Australian traveller to Fiji, and is likely to still be circulating at low levels (13).…”

Chikungunya Virus: A Novel and Potentially Serious Threat to New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands

“…10 There were an estimated 50,000 clinical cases of RRV in Fiji, and more than 300,000 human infections affecting nearly half of the population, and the epidemic eventually spread to other South Pacific nations such as Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna Islands. 39 The explosive nature of the outbreak in Fiji was a likely result of low levels of antibodies to RRV in the community, 38 which would also occur in the event of CHIKV outbreak. In New Zealand, this would likely occur in the case of any arbovirus outbreak.…”

“…The scenario for an outbreak of CHIKV could resemble the RRV epidemic that occurred in the South Pacific in 1979, 38,39 which appears to have started with the arrival of an infected human in Fiji, 39 as happened in the CHIKV outbreak in Italy. 10 There were an estimated 50,000 clinical cases of RRV in Fiji, and more than 300,000 human infections affecting nearly half of the population, and the epidemic eventually spread to other South Pacific nations such as Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna Islands.…”