Studies conducted at Queensland's high security biocontainment facility has revealed 2022's outbreak of a deadly mosquito-borne virus was more dangerous than even the experts thought.
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It was a new strain of Japanese Encephalitis Virus which caused the deaths of seven people with 44 confirmed cases, scientists now believe.
The rare sub-type of JEV has been shown to trigger fatal brain infections which may need a new vaccine to stop its ongoing threat now it is here to stay in Australia.
Farmers and other outdoor workers living in mosquito hotspots around Australia were given access during the outbreak to free vaccines developed for already known strains of the virus..
High priority targets like piggery workers and officials working to contain the deadly outbreak were given first priority.
People were found to have become infected with JEV in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the NT.
No-one yet knows how the virus breached the nation's biosecurity defences although the best guess is it flew in with migratory waterbirds or infected mosquitoes.
Depending on the conditions, warm and wet weather are the highest risk, health officials expect the JEV risk to rise again.
The discovery of the new JEV strain was made by researchers from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane.
They have been working in their laboratories to identify the outbreak's true source for two years.
Their studies showed the strain's potential to cause fatal brain infection and they have also developed technologies to test new vaccines to protect Australian populations.
QIMR Berghofer's senior research officer Dr Daniel Rawle and research officer Dr Wilson Nguyen found the new virus strain's impact on the brain is consistent with the human deaths in Australia.
The research found miniature human brain organoids were destroyed when infected with the virus.
The research also looked at blood samples from those already vaccinated against JEV.
While they found it did offer some protection against the new Australian strain, more work was needed to tailor a new vaccine.
"The more a virus mutates and the more it deviates from established vaccine targets, the less optimal the vaccine responses are likely to be," Dr Rawle said.
"This is why COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are continuously updated, a process that may be needed for JEV.
"We don't have targeted treatments for JEV, with brain infections particularly difficult to treat, so a vaccine would be a key defence against a disease with potentially fatal consequences."
Dr Rawle said the findings highlighted the urgent need for vigilance and preparedness in combating mosquito-borne diseases.
QIMR Berghofer is now using the recent tools they've developed to test new vaccines against JEV.
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
