Murray Valley encephalitis
noun [mass noun]
A severe form of encephalitis occurring primarily in Australia: mosquitoes are important agents in transmitting Murray Valley encephalitis...
- Australia already had an 'X disease', now known as Murray valley encephalitis.
- You've probably heard of Murray Valley encephalitis, part of the same family as the West Nile virus.
- Over 7,000 of the mosquitoes were this species, and therefore potentially carriers of the deadly Murray Valley encephalitis and of Ross River Fever.
Origin
1950s: from the Murray River, with which the disease is associated in southern Australia after periods of heavy rainfall.