Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Symptoms

Many people infected with Ross River virus have no symptoms. For people with symptoms, the time from infected mosquito bite to feeling sick (incubation period) is usually 7 to 9 days, range of 3 to 21 days.

• Symptoms can include swollen or painful joints, fever, rash, and fatigue.
• Death from Ross River virus disease has never been reported.

Diagnosis

Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any symptoms or signs described above and have recently traveled to an area where Ross River virus might be present. Your healthcare provider can order laboratory tests to diagnose Ross River virus infection.

To learn more about testing, visit our Healthcare Providers page.

Treatment

• There are no medications to prevent or treat Ross River virus disease. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses.
• Rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medications may relieve some symptoms.
• Some patients may need to be hospitalized for intravenous fluids and supportive care for pain, fever, or other related problems.

To learn more about treatment, visit our Healthcare Providers page.