School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia.
Travel Med Infect Dis. 2012 May;10(3):129-34. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2012.04.001. Epub 2012 May 10.
No known locally acquired human mosquito-borne diseases have occurred in New Zealand, and reported cases of arboviral infections have been diagnosed exclusively in travellers. In this paper, we review the epidemiology of Ross River virus cases (RRV) in New Zealand and discuss the potential risk of local disease transmission. Cases of RRV reported to the Notifiable Disease Surveillance system from 1997 to 2009 were analysed. Available data included demographics, travel history and mosquito avoidance behaviour. A total of 22 cases of RRV were reported, and included New Zealand residents returning home from overseas (20 cases, 14 to Australia, 5 to Fiji, 1 unknown destination) as well as international visitors (2 from Australia). Reported cases of RRV confirm that New Zealand is vulnerable to virus importation. With several potential mosquito vectors, it is theoretically possible for a local "virgin soil" epidemic to occur. It is important for travellers, medical practitioners, and public health authorities to be aware of this threat, and take appropriate precautions to reduce the risk of a local epidemic. Protecting travellers from RRV is important from a travel medicine perspective, but also has potentially significant public health benefits for the general population.
在新西兰，尚未发现本地感染的蚊媒传染病，已报告的虫媒病毒感染病例均为旅行者。本文回顾了新西兰罗斯河病毒（RRV）病例的流行病学，并讨论了本地传播疾病的潜在风险。对 1997 年至 2009 年向法定传染病监测系统报告的 RRV 病例进行了分析。可用数据包括人口统计学、旅行史和蚊虫避护行为。共报告了 22 例 RRV 病例，包括从海外回国的新西兰居民（20 例，14 例来自澳大利亚，5 例来自斐济，1 例来源地不详）和国际游客（2 例来自澳大利亚）。RRV 病例的报告证实新西兰容易受到病毒的输入。由于存在几种潜在的蚊虫媒介，理论上有可能发生本地“原始土壤”疫情。旅行者、医务人员和公共卫生当局都必须意识到这一威胁，并采取适当的预防措施，以降低本地疫情的风险。从旅行医学的角度来看，保护旅行者免受 RRV 的侵害非常重要，但对一般人群也具有潜在的重大公共卫生益处。
