Emerging infections in Australia.

Over the last 10 years, novel infectious agents including Equine Morbillivirus, Lyssavirus, Barmah Forest Virus, Rickettsia honei and two as-yet-unnamed bunyaviruses have been identified as causes of human disease in Australia. Previously described agents, such as Japanese B Encephalitis virus, Dengue virus, Ross River virus, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia australis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, Mycobacterium ulcerans and Trichinella pseudospiralis, have increased their geographical distribution over the last 20 years. Widespread antibiotic use has also resulted in selection for, and dissemination (especially in hospitals) of, multiresistant bacteria such as multiple-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), expanded-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing gram-negative bacteria, penicillin-resistant pneumococci and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).