What is the difference between Ross River fever and dengue fever?
A. Similarities • Both viruses may cause rash, joint pain and fever • Both viruses are spread by mosquitoes (but not the same species). Differences • Dengue is transmitted by Aedes Aegypti – a domestic mosquito • Ross River is spread from animals to humans by a number of different species of mosquito that breed in different environments including natural and domestic settings • Dengue can be fatal. Ross River is not fatal. For more information on Ross River fever see the Queensland Health fact sheet.
