Australia's Ross River virus has the potential to become a global epidemic, similar to the Zika virus, researchers say.

It was previously thought that the mosquito-borne virus could only sustain itself among marsupials, which kept the disease endemic to Australia and Papua New Guinea.

But research fellow at the University of Adelaide Professor Philip Weinstein said he and his partners at the Australian National University (ANU) found the disease silently planting roots in the South Pacific.

What is Ross River virus? Most common mosquito-borne disease in Australia

Most common mosquito-borne disease in Australia Previously thought to be endemic to Australia and Papua New Guinea

Previously thought to be endemic to Australia and Papua New Guinea Last breakout outside Australia/PNG was in 1979-1980 in American Samoa

Last breakout outside Australia/PNG was in 1979-1980 in American Samoa Symptoms include swollen joints, fever/chills, rashes, debilitating pain

Symptoms include swollen joints, fever/chills, rashes, debilitating pain 3,552 people infected Australia-wide in 2016

3,552 people infected Australia-wide in 2016 Previously understood to sustain itself only through marsupials

"It's really only in the last few years [it became apparent] when tourists returning to their home countries ... were diagnosed with Ross River virus after travelling in the Pacific," Professor Weinstein said.

"They'd never been to Australia or New Guinea. That's when the little alarm bells started ringing that this was perhaps circulating outside Australia."

Professor Weinstein said the new finding meant that even though there were no marsupials in the Pacific Islands, the virus was seemingly able to maintain itself there anyway.

He warned that if the virus could sustain itself in areas where there were no marsupials, "then it could sustain itself anywhere in the world".

"That certainly means that it could be another global outbreak like Zika or Chikungunya a few years before that, another mosquito-borne virus that suddenly went global," he said.

Professor Weinsten said the diseased mosquitoes were breeding in old tyres in American Samoa. ( Supplied: Australian National University/Colleen Lau )

Professor Weinstein said all it could take was a "perfect storm" of a tourist carrying the virus, a set of animals who could harbour the virus, and the right conditions for mosquitos to bite those animals for an epidemic to take off.

In fact, he said, it was possible that was already happening.

"This has probably been chugging along quietly on different Pacific islands for a number of years, but because the symptoms are so general it's not been identified as a Ross River Virus problem," Professor Weinstein said.

'I'd rather give birth than go through Ross River'

Adele Lindley from Gulgong, near Mudgee, in New South Wales said she knew the symptoms well.

In 2012 Ms Lindley said she was out on her lawn in the evening with friends to celebrate her birthday.

Though she was out near the river and there were mosquitos about, she said she did not think she was getting bitten and so did not worry about putting on any insect repellent.

Three days later she was about to head to the coast for a holiday when she fell ill.

Adele Lindley said she had to give up her job breeding and training assistance dogs because of her debilitating illness. ( Supplied )

"I couldn't even get down the stairs on the front of our verandah to the car, I was in so much pain. I thought I'd broken a bone in my feet at the time," Ms Lindley said.

But when she started to break out in rashes and fever, she said she knew something was not right.

Ms Lindley went to the doctor and, remembering a public health notice about Ross River virus in the area, asked to be tested.

"It took 10 days for the results to come back and it was bright red: positive," she said.

She said for months she could not walk without assistance and as recently as last December has had relapses.

"It's awful, it feels like somebody's actually broken your limbs," she said.

"I'd rather give birth than go through that Ross River. I'd rather have gall stones than go through this.

"That's the pain threshold we're talking about."

Ross River virus is the most common mosquito-borne disease in Australia.

There has been a recent spike in reports of the virus due to unseasonably wet and warm conditions across Australia.

In January alone 1,174 people were infected nationwide.