The New South Wales Mouse Plague 2020-2021: A One Health description
Jennifer White,
Joanne Taylor,
Peter R. Brown,
Steve Henry,
Lucy Carter,
Aditi Mankad,
Wei-Shan Chang,
Priscilla Stanley,
Kerry Collins,
David N. Durrheim,
Kirrilly Thompson
Affiliations
Jennifer White
Health Protection, Hunter New England Local Health District, Booth Building, Wallsend Health Services Longworth Avenue, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Corresponding author at: Health Protection, Hunter New England Local Health District, Locked Bag 10, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.
Joanne Taylor
Health Protection, Hunter New England Local Health District, Booth Building, Wallsend Health Services Longworth Avenue, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Peter R. Brown
CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Steve Henry
CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Lucy Carter
CSIRO Environment, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
Aditi Mankad
CSIRO Environment, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
Wei-Shan Chang
CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Priscilla Stanley
Western NSW Local Health District, PO Box 4061, Dubbo, NSW 2830, Australia
Kerry Collins
CSIRO Environment, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
David N. Durrheim
Health Protection, Hunter New England Local Health District, Booth Building, Wallsend Health Services Longworth Avenue, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Kirrilly Thompson
Health Protection, Hunter New England Local Health District, Booth Building, Wallsend Health Services Longworth Avenue, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia; School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Flinders University, Sturt Rd, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
A mouse plague occurred in Eastern Australia from spring 2020 to winter 2021, impacting an area of around 180,000 km2. It harmed human physical and psychological health, damaged the natural and built environment, and endangered farmed, domestic and native animals. However, the mouse plague was overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as the end of the plague coincided with the arrival and surge of the COVID-19 delta strain in rural New South Wales (NSW). In this article, we systematically overview the multiple impacts of the plague and highlight their complex interactions. Using a One Health framework, we comprehensively review the i) human, ii) animal and iii) environmental impacts including economic dimensions. Given the damage that the mouse plague caused to infrastructure, we consider the environment from two perspectives: the natural and the built environment. This One Health description of the 2020–2021 mouse plague identifies priorities for preparedness, response and recovery at local, regional land levels to inform response and management of future mouse plague events in Australia. It also highlights the need for ongoing collaboration between researchers and practitioners in the human, animal and environmental health sectors.
