This sheet has been written for people affected by Ross River Virus. It provides general information to help you understand how osteoarthritis affects you and what you can do to manage it. It also tells you where to find further information and advice.
What is Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus?
Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus are infections that are spread to humans through mosquito bites. They cause similar illnesses, including joint inflammation and pain. People of all ages are at risk of
developing these infections. Ross River virus is the most common and widespread of mosquito borne diseases that infect humans in Australia. It is also known as epidemic polyarthritis.
What are the symptoms?
The majority of people infected with these viruses have slight or no symptoms. About three out of ten people will develop symptoms which usually appear within three to 21 days after infection and can include:
- a rash on the trunk and limbs. The rash usually consists of small red spots and lasts around seven to ten days. It can occur up to two weeks before or after other symptoms. It may appear similar to rashes associated with other infectious diseases.
- general illness with fever, chills, headaches and tiredness.
- joint pain, stiffness and swelling. It commonly affects the fingers, wrists, ankles and knees, but any joint can be affected. Pain can also be felt in tissues surrounding joints, such as muscles, ligaments and tendons
What causes it?
You can be infected if you are bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus. It is suspected that mosquitoes pick up the viruses from native animals, most likely kangaroos and wallabies. The viruses occur throughout most regions of Australia. Human infections tend to occur more often in regions with a warm, humid climate that are close to bodies of water where mosquitoes breed. Outbreaks also occur when local conditions of rainfall, tides and temperature result in increased mosquito populations.
How is it diagnosed?
Anyone who develops symptoms of these viruses should see a doctor so that the exact condition can be diagnosed. Your doctor can diagnose Ross River virus or Barmah Forest virus infection from your symptoms and physical examination. A blood test can confirm that there has been recent infection by the virus although it may need to be repeated to be certain. Your doctor may also order blood tests to help rule out other types of arthritis as the symptoms may be similar.
What will happen to me?
Most people recover completely from these viruses,although recovery can take a few weeks to a few months.During this time you may find that your symptoms are worse some days and better other days. You may also need some form of treatment, usually medicines, while symptoms are present to help control joint pain and swelling. For some people, symptoms persist or come and go for a year or more, although this is rare. The viruses do not cause any permanent damage to the joints and your joints will recover fully over time. Once you have had the virus, you are protected from the disease for the rest of your life.
Is there a cure?
There is no known cure for these viral infections. However there are many treatments available to relieve the symptoms and most people will recover with time. Protection against mosquito bites is the best way to avoid infection.
What treatments are there?
Your doctor will tailor your treatment to your symptoms and how severe your condition is. There is no way of predicting exactly which treatment will work best for you. Your doctor may need to trial several different treatments before finding the one that is right for you. Medicines used to treat Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus include:
- pain relief, using medicines such as paracetamol
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
What can I do?
See your doctor for treatment and advice. Your doctor can help you find the best treatment to manage your symptoms. Your doctor may refer you to a Rheumatologist (an arthritis specialist) if your condition is difficult to control. If you have joint pain that continues for several months or starts worsening, ask your doctor to consider referring you to a Rheumatologist.
Learn about the condition and play an active role in your treatment. Not all information you read or hear about is trustworthy so always talk to your doctor or healthcare team about treatments you are thinking about trying. Reliable sources of further information are also listed in the section below. Self management courses aim to help you develop skills to be actively involved in your healthcare.
Learn ways to manage pain.
Live a healthy life. Stay physically active, eat a healthy diet, stop smoking and reduce stress to help your overall health and wellbeing.
Acknowledge your feelings and seek support. Your everyday life can be turned upside down by arthritis and it is natural to feel scared, sad, frustrated and angry. Be aware of these feelings and get help if they start affecting your daily life.
© Copyright Arthritis Australia 2007. Reviewed May 2015.
Disclaimer: This sheet is published by Arthritis Australia for information purposes only and should not be used in place of professional advice.
Source: A full list of the references used to compile this sheet is available from your local Arthritis Office. The Australian General Practice Network, Australian Physiotherapy Association, Australian Practice Nurses Association, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners contributed to the development of this information sheet. The Australian Government has provided funding to support this project.
Conditions Treated
Why Choose ArthritisCARE
- Holistic Personal Approach
- A Dedicated, Friendly Caring Team
- Experience Dealing With Patients’ Complex Cases
- Quick Appointments and Short Waiting Times
- Affordable Competitive Pricing
- Purpose-Built Fully Accessible Premises
Get the help you deserve
Talk to our friendly team today! (07) 3255 1066
What's Next
If you think the arthritisCARE Rheumatologists could help you to relieve your pain and restricted movement, give us a call. All you need is a referral from your GP or your medical specialist requesting an appointment. If they feel your need for an appointment is urgent, they simply need to contact us and we will do all we can to see you as soon as is possible.
A Rheumatologist is a specialist physician who has expertise in diagnosing and treating diseases of the joints, muscles and bones. Sometimes the term rheumatic disease or ‘rheumatism’ is used to describe this group of diseases.
There are also a number of rarer rheumatic conditions that can affect other parts of the body including the skin, hair and internal organs. These include “lupus”, myositis, vasculitis and scleroderma.
The more common rheumatic diseases include:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Gout
- Back and neck pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Muscle and tendon injury/tear
- Tendonitis
- Fibromyalgia
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica
- Bone Disease
- Osteoporosis
- Paget’s disease
Initial Consultation Fees
- Our full private rate for an initial appointment is $380 (which comes down to $145 after your Medicare Rebate of $234.85 is refunded to you)
- Our Health Care Card/Full-time Student/COVID rate is $320 ( (which comes down to $85 after your Medicare Rebate of $234.85 is refunded to you)
- Our Pension rate is $290 ( (which comes down to $55 after your Medicare Rebate of $234.85 is refunded to you)
Follow-up/Review Appointment Fees
- Our full private rate for a review appointment is $140 (which comes down to $145 after your Medicare Rebate of $67.20 is refunded to you)
- Our Health Care Card/Full-time Student/COVID rate for a review appointment is $140 (which comes down to $53 after your Medicare Rebate of $67.20 is refunded to you)
- Our Pension rate for a review appointment is $100 (which comes down to $33 after your Medicare Rebate of $67.20 is refunded to you)
We don't bulk bill for appointments with our Rheumatologists. However, we do offer a once-a-week option for you to be seen by a Rheumatology Registrar (a doctor who is close to completing his/her advanced training to become a Rheumatologist). You can be seen by the Registrar, and Dr Peter Landsberg will also meet with you for part of that appointment in his role of supervising the Registrar and to check in on your management plan.
We definitely do offer Telehealth or online video consultation appointments. Especially in these times of COVID-19 disrupting our ability to set up face-to-face meetings for our immune-suppressed patients. But, we do very much prefer to see you in person for your first appointment.
We believe that this is critical to ensure that we are able to most accurately diagnose and map out the best management plan for your condition. Some things just can't be done well online and we pride ourselves on looking after you as best as we can.
After that initial appointment, once we have met with you and we understand you and your condition, we then feel confident that we can move to Telehealth appointments and offer optimal quality for your ongoing personal care plan.
Please send your message through to us via email to admin@arthritiscare.com.au or call us on (07) 3255 1066. Thank you!