Communicable Diseases Surveillance - Tables

This report published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 23, No 11, 28 October 1999 contains an analysis and tables of monthly notifiable diseases and laboratory data, and quarterly surveillance reports.

Page last updated: 11 November 1999

A print friendly PDF version is available from this Communicable Diseases Intelligence issue's table of contents.




There were 5,374 notifications to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) in the four week period, 15 September to 12 October 1999 (Tables 1 and 2). The numbers of reports for selected diseases have been compared with historical data for corresponding periods in the previous three years (Figure 1).

There were 4,310 reports received by the Virology and Serology Laboratory Reporting Scheme (LabVISE) in the four week period, 9 September to 6 October 1999 (Tables 3 and 4).

The Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network (ASPREN) data for weeks 37 to 40, ending 10 October 1999, are included in this issue of CDI (Table 5).

Table 1. Notifications of diseases received by State and Territory health authorities in the period 15 September to 12 October 1999

Disease1,2,3
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA This period 1999 This period 1998 Year to date 19994 Year to date 1998
Arbovirus infection (NEC)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
70
57
Barmah Forest virus infection
0
7
0
8
0
0
1
1
17
32
543
467
Brucellosis
0
0
0
9
0
0
0
0
9
3
36
33
Campylobacteriosis5
22
-
20
212
136
18
355
96
859
1,078
9,847
9,418
Chancroid
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
0
2
1
Chlamydial infection (NEC)6,7
13
114
98
333
70
10
206
116
960
852
10,962
8,535
Cholera
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
4
Dengue
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
17
166
395
Donovanosis7
0
0
0
0
NN
0
0
0
0
3
14
29
Gonococcal infection8
0
66
101
84
19
0
56
63
389
402
4,424
4,134
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome9
NN
0
0
0
0
0
NN
0
0
0
13
10
Hepatitis A
0
25
8
16
10
0
30
27
116
122
1,321
2,189
Hepatitis B incident
1
4
1
1
4
0
6
6
23
20
230
210
Hepatitis B unspecified10
6
166
0
67
0
1
212
26
478
563
5,590
5,029
Hepatitis C incident
1
2
0
-
7
0
0
8
18
23
241
236
Hepatitis C unspecified10
17
401
21
266
74
14
385
74
1,252
1,533
15,869
15,092
Hepatitis (NEC)11
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NN
0
3
28
15
Hydatid infection
0
NN
0
1
0
0
0
1
2
3
24
35
Legionellosis
1
0
2
4
0
0
4
1
12
10
215
186
Leprosy
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
2
Leptospirosis
0
3
0
3
0
0
1
0
7
17
296
134
Listeriosis
0
7
0
2
1
0
1
3
14
2
50
44
Malaria
0
7
22
10
2
1
4
1
47
25
631
589
Meningococcal infection
0
24
0
7
0
2
23
10
66
54
462
362
Ornithosis
0
NN
0
NN
0
0
3
1
4
0
64
27
Q fever
0
14
0
23
1
0
2
4
44
57
435
443
Ross River virus infection
0
5
2
49
0
0
1
9
66
43
4,116
2,455
Salmonellosis (NEC)
7
55
16
112
43
3
74
36
346
443
6,258
6,119
Shigellosis5
0
-
10
4
6
0
13
8
41
30
460
475
SLTEC, VTEC12
NN
0
0
NN
0
0
NN
NN
0
0
20
9
Syphilis13
1
33
24
53
1
0
0
5
117
139
1,598
1,236
TTP14
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Tuberculosis
0
15
1
8
0
1
0
4
29
63
725
756
Typhoid15
0
4
0
1
0
0
1
0
6
5
67
57
Yersiniosis (NEC)5
0
-
0
7
1
0
2
0
10
12
126
176

1. Diseases preventable by routine childhood immunisation are presented in Table 2.
2. No HIV and AIDS tables this issue.
3. No notifications have been received during 1999 for the following rare diseases: lymphogranuloma venereum, plague, rabies, yellow fever, or other viral haemorrhagic fevers.
4. Totals comprise data from all States and Territories. Cumulative figures are subject to retrospective revision so there may be discrepancies between the number of new notifications and the increment in the cumulative figure from the previous period.
5. Not reported for NSW because it is only notifiable as 'foodborne disease' or 'gastroenteritis in an institution'.
6. WA: genital only.
7. Notifications from NSW have been received since September 1998, and were first reported in CDI in Issue 23(9).
8. NT, Qld, SA and Vic: includes gonococcal neonatal ophthalmia.
9. Nationally reportable from August 1998.
10. Unspecified numbers should be interpreted with some caution as the magnitude may be a reflection of the numbers of testings being carried out.
11. Includes hepatitis D and E.
12. Infections with Shiga-like toxin (verotoxin) producing E. Coli (SLTEC/VTEC) became nationally reportable in August 1998.
13. Includes congenital syphilis.
14. Thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura became nationally reportable in August 1998.
15. NSW, Qld: includes paratyphoid.
NN Not Notifiable.
NEC Not Elsewhere Classified.
- Elsewhere Classified.

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Table 2. Notifications of diseases preventable by vaccines recommended by the NHMRC for routine childhood immunisation, received by State and Territory health authorities in the period 15 September to 12 October 1999

Disease1
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA This period 1999 This period 1998 Year to date 19992 Year to date 1998
Diphtheria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
H. influenzae type b infection 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 42 26
Measles 1 0 3 1 0 1 28 3 37 14 273 269
Mumps 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 3 9 8 141 147
Pertussis 4 100 0 46 15 132 69 2 368 395 3,086 5,289
Rubella3 0 1 0 10 0 1 11 2 25 76 312 654
Tetanus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 5

NN. Not Notifiable
1. No notification of poliomyelitis has been received since 1978.
2. Totals comprise data from all States and Territories. Cumulative figures are subject to retrospective revision, so there may be discrepancies between the number of new notifications and the increment in the cumulative figure from the previous period.
3. Includes congenital rubella.

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Figure 1. Selected National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System reports, and historical data1

Figure 1. Selected National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System reports, and historical data

1. The historical data are the averages of the number of notifications in the corresponding 4 week periods of the last 3 years and the 2 week periods immediately preceding and following those.

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Table 3. Virology and serology laboratory reports by State or Territory1 for the reporting period 9 September to 6 October 1999, and total reports for the year

  State or Territory1 Total this period Total reported in 19992,3
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
Measles, mumps, rubella
Measles virus
1
5
5
11
154
Mumps virus
6
6
46
Rubella virus
3
52
1
2
58
122
Hepatitis viruses
Hepatitis A virus
16
21
3
24
64
327
Hepatitis D virus
1
1
5
Arboviruses
Ross River virus
7
12
96
1
3
119
1,252
Barmah Forest virus
1
21
1
23
144
Dengue not typed
1
3
4
44
Flavivirus (unspecified)
1
1
2
17
Adenoviruses
Adenovirus type 1
2
2
20
Adenovirus type 2
1
1
14
Adenovirus type 3
1
1
29
Adenovirus type 4
1
1
14
Adenovirus type 5
1
1
4
Adenovirus type 40
4
4
63
Adenovirus not typed/pending
3
11
29
53
96
986
Herpes viruses
Cytomegalovirus
9
56
1
42
18
126
931
Varicella-zoster virus
11
10
165
1
1
17
29
234
1,354
Epstein-Barr virus
12
6
310
4
15
23
370
1,882
Other DNA viruses
Contagious pustular dermatitis
1
1
9
Parvovirus
1
33
5
19
16
74
382
Picornavirus family
Coxsackievirus A16
3
1
4
16
Coxsackievirus B2
1
1
1
Coxsackievirus B5
1
1
5
Echovirus type 11
11
2
13
132
Echovirus type 22
1
1
19
Rhinovirus (all types)
7
5
6
18
358
Enterovirus type 71 (BCR)
2
2
17
Enterovirus not typed/pending
1
11
1
45
58
669
Ortho/paramyxoviruses
Influenza A virus
8
5
138
2
83
134
370
1,680
Influenza A virus H3N2
2
2
29
Influenza B virus
6
1
14
16
14
51
224
Parainfluenza virus type 1
1
3
1
5
40
Parainfluenza virus type 2
5
1
6
101
Parainfluenza virus type 3
5
30
19
53
107
652
Parainfluenza virus type 4
1
1
4
Respiratory syncytial virus
14
2
166
23
235
164
604
2,753
Other RNA viruses
Rotavirus
60
1
16
78
86
241
1,747
Norwalk agent
6
6
66
Other
Chlamydia trachomatis not typed
45
78
418
5
16
61
623
2,548
Chlamydia psittaci
3
3
76
Chlamydia species
2
4
6
17
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
5
1
141
3
63
7
220
966
Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
8
1
54
1
3
67
170
Rickettsia spp - other
1
1
11
Streptococcus group A
5
21
132
158
200
Yersinia enterocolitica
1
1
10
Brucella species
3
3
5
Bordetella pertussis
3
159
2
12
5
181
574
Legionella pneumophila
2
2
19
Legionella longbeachae
1
1
32
Leptospira species
2
14
16
31
Treponema pallidum
8
208
120
336
432
Entamoeba histolytica
1
1
2
3
Total
241
366
2,173
1
65
691
773
4,310
21,406

1. State or Territory of postcode, if reported, otherwise State or Territory of reporting laboratory.
2. In 1999, data from the Institute of Clinical Pathology and Clinical Research, Westmead were under reported up to September.
3. Totals comprise data from all laboratories. Cumulative figures are subject to retrospective revision, so there may be discrepancies between the number of new notifications and the increment in the cumulative figure from the previous period.

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Table 4. Virology and serology laboratory reports by contributing laboratories for the reporting period 9 September to 6 October 1999

State or Territory
Laboratory
Reports
New South Wales Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead 129
Queensland Queensland Medical Laboratory, West End
Townsville General Hospital
2,646
16
Tasmania Northern Tasmanian Pathology Service, Launceston 58
Victoria Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne
Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Fairfield
303
207
171
Western Australia PathCentre Virology, Perth
Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth
588
192
Total   4,310
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Table 5. Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network reports, weeks 37 to 40, 1999

Week number
37 38 39 40
Week ending on
19 September 1999
26 September 1999
3 October 1999
10 October 1999
Doctors reporting
51
44
45
42
Total encounters
6,989
5,406
5,675
5,181
Condition
Reports Rate per 1,000 encounters Reports Rate per 1,000 encounters Reports Rate per 1,000 encounters Reports Rate per 1,000 encounters
Influenza
39
5.6
16
3.0
21
3.7
14
2.7
Rubella
1
0.1
3
0.6
1
0.2
1
0.2
Measles
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
Chickenpox
1
1.6
10
1.8
11
1.9
8
1.5
New diagnosis of asthma
1
1.6
6
1.1
2
0.4
6
1.2
Post operative wound sepsis
2
0.3
3
0.6
10
1.8
5
1.0
Gastroenteritis
69
9.9
54
10.0
61
10.7
55
10.6


The NNDSS is conducted under the auspices of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia New Zealand. The system coordinates the national surveillance of more than 40 communicable diseases or disease groups endorsed by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Notifications of these diseases are made to State and Territory health authorities under the provisions of their respective public health legislation. De-identified core unit data are supplied fortnightly for collation, analysis and dissemination. For further information, see Commun Dis Intell 1999;23:58.

LabVISE is a sentinel reporting scheme. Twenty-one laboratories contribute data on the laboratory identification of viruses and other organisms. Data are collated and published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence every four weeks. These data should be interpreted with caution as the number and type of reports received is subject to a number of biases. For further information, see Commun Dis Intell 1999;23:58.

ASPREN currently comprises about 100 general practitioners from throughout the country. Up to 9,000 consultations are reported each week, with special attention to 12 conditions chosen for sentinel surveillance in 1999. CDI reports the consultation rates for seven of these. For further information, including case definitions, see Commun Dis Intell 1999;23:55-56.


This article was published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 23, No 11, 28 October 1999.

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