Some patients can suffer from a chronic long-term disease, characterized by a debilitating arthralgia that can persist for weeks to months.

Death from RRV is rare.

The virus is endemic in Australia, Papua New Guinea and other islands in the South Pacific. Despite being rarely fatal, RRV infections have high socioeconomic impact due to the chronic painful incapacitating phase of the disease. There are no approved vaccines or antivirals available for the prevention or treatment of RRV infection.