In simplistic terms, the Ross River Virus is an Alphavirus found commonly in Australia. As an RNA virus, it consists of a protein shell, viral envelope, lipid proteins, glycoproteins and a single-stranded genome. The protein shell creates a protective environment for the genome, which can resist a cell's defence mechanisms against the virus. The viral envelope is usually made of cell membrane, which allows the virus to pass through other cell membranes with ease. The glycoproteins allows the virus to be accepted by the receptors of a targeted cell. In general, the single-stranded genome allows for more frequent and impactful mutations, which can greatly affect the virulence of future variants of the virus. This all makes the Ross River Virus very good at breaching a cell's membrane and releasing its genome into the cell, leading to the virus's replication and continued existence.
Symptoms of Ross River Virus are primarily arthritis and joint pain followed by a rash, fatigue and flu-like symptoms. Over time, fatigue can develop into chronic fatigue, which will affect 9% of infected individuals after a year with the disease. However, despite the significant impacts the Ross River Virus has on an individual's health, it has low virulence with no reported cases of death.
Areas with high rainfall are the most susceptible to Ross River Virus outbreaks. This is further amplified during seasonal changes, specifically during "wet seasons". Communities nearby viable breeding areas for mosquitos are also at risk. Because of this, rural regions are most affected by Ross River Virus. Gender does not influence an individual's susceptibility to the virus, but adults aged 25 to 44 have a greater chance to be infected.
The virus is transmitted via vectors, specifically mosquitos. For the Ross River Virus, individuals of a secondary carrier population are considered "vectors", and are usually blood-sucking arthropods such as mosquitos and ticks. Ross River Virus uses mosquitos as a vector, most prevalently mosquitos of the Aedes genus. An infected individual's blood is sucked by a vector, which can then carry the virus and bite an uninfected individual, transmitting the virus.
This graph shows that outbreaks of the Ross River Virus are periodical, occurring mostly every January, which is during Summer in Western Australia. After Summer ends, cases drop off significantly. This is a sign that the Ross River Virus is seasonal, and is most common during the Summer period.
