JULIE Dunlop was ill for three months before she discovered she had been afflicted by the Ross River virus.

The mosquito-borne illness first manifested as a swollen toe, which she put down to injury, but before long the swelling and pain had spread into joints throughout her body, accompanied by nausea and fatigue.

“(I was) generally feeling like I’d run a marathon every day of my life,” Mrs Dunlop said.

The illness put the then-32-year-old on painkillers and forced her to quit her job and abandon her pursuit of her motorcycle licence.

That was eight years ago, but Mrs Dunlop said she continued to experience arthritis.

More people are suffering similar experiences, with Victoria seeing a surge in the number of Ross River virus cases.

Health Department figures show that in the seven weeks to February 20, there were 276 suspected or confirmed cases of Ross River virus detected in the Loddon Mallee region.

Thirty-eight of these cases arose in the week to February 20 alone.

The City of Greater Bendigo has seen 40 potential cases of Ross River virus this year, while across Victoria there have been 1243.

Wendy Hayes is among those who have been infected with the virus this summer.

Mosquito bites are so rare for the Swan Hill resident that she remembers exactly when and where she was infected: on December 10 – her birthday – at the family farm, while celebrating her father’s 80^th.

Three days later she woke up with aching in her joints and the day after that the pain was joined by a rash “from head to toe”.

The diagnosis of Ross River virus came through just before Christmas, and two months down the track Miss Hayes is still suffering from joint pain and stiffness.

She said her stubbornness meant she had not missed any work, but she had had to scale back her activities with the local SES.

Even basic activities, such as brushing her teeth, holding a pen and making a cup of tea are difficult.

“For someone so independent and stubborn, it’s not good,” Miss Hayes said.

Most people recover completely within a year, but there is no cure or vaccine, so health experts recommend people take steps to protect themselves from the insects.