Murray Valley encephalitis infection

Statutory notification

• Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: Cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the local public health unit within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• Case definition: See Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection (external site) national surveillance case definition.
• Notification: Notify using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB). For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: MVE virus.
• Transmission: Mosquito-borne.
• Incubation period: 5 to 28 days (usually 7 to 12 days).
• Infectious period: Not applicable. No evidence of person to person transmission
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Varies according to symptoms, refer to doctor.
• Immunisation: None available.
• Case follow up: Conducted by local public health units and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate. 

Guidelines for public health units

• Murray Valley Encephalitis virus – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
• Framework for the surveillance, prevention and control of Murray Valley Encephalitis virus in Australia (external site)
• Murray Valley Encephalitis fact sheet (Healthy WA)
• Murray Valley Encephalitis public health unit checklist (Word 192KB)
• Murray Valley Encephalitis case investigation form (Word 399KB)
• Murray Valley Encephalitis reference laboratories (Word 565KB)

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• General infectious disease reports