Fortnight 17: 09 August to 22 August 2014

The Communicable Diseases Network Australia holds fortnightly teleconferences to share and evaluate the latest information and developments in communicable diseases surveillance. This report provides a fortnightly summary on diseases of current interest and notifications of Australia's nationally notifiable diseases.

Page last updated: 28 August 2014

Fortnight 17: 09 August 2014 to 22 August 2014

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Measles

There were 13 cases notified in this reporting period including from Vic (6), NSW (3), WA (2), Qld (1) and ACT (1).

Of the 302 cases notified year to date:

  • The majority were either imported from overseas 37% (n=113) or import related 31% (n=94). These cases were associated with travel to the Philippines, Singapore and more recently Papua New Guinea.
  • Although 32% of cases were reported as being acquired in Australia, with the link to an imported case either not established or currently under investigation, it is likely these are all import related.
  • Cases continue to be highest in the 15-19 and 30-34 years age groups, representing a third of cases. 9% of cases (n=27) were less than 12 months of age.
  • Of those cases aged over 12 months (n=276) and eligible for vaccination, 40% (n=110) were reported as not vaccinated and 41% (n=112) had an unknown vaccination status. The remaining 19% of cases (n=54) were reported as being vaccinated, of which 43 had received one dose and 11 had received two doses of a measles containing vaccine.
  • Vaccination is the best protection against measles. All travellers should ensure that they are up to date with routinely recommended vaccinations, including measles, prior to travel. More information is available on vaccination from the National Immunisation Programme.

Influenza (laboratory confirmed)

  • Across all jurisdictions, seasonal influenza activity has continued to increase, with New South Wales and Queensland reporting the highest levels of activity.
  • Nationally influenza A is the predominant influenza virus type. Of those viruses where subtyping data are available, A(H1N1)pdm09 remains the predominant influenza virus type in most jurisdictions. In New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, influenza A(H3N2) is the most common subtype and in Western Australia the proportion of A(H3N2) has continued to increase in recent weeks, primarily associated with activity in the Kimberly region.
  • The influenza vaccine is likely to provide good coverage against the currently circulating viruses.
  • The severity of the 2014 influenza season appears to be moderate across most jurisdictions. However, more severe activity is noted in NSW, where influenza A(H3N2) is circulating at higher levels and affecting people in older age-groups, which has led to a substantial number of outbreaks in aged care facilities.

A comprehensive analysis of influenza surveillance data is available in the Australian Influenza Surveillance Report, which is published fortnightly on the Department of Health website.

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Interpretative Notes

Selected diseases are chosen each fortnight based on either exceeding two standard deviations from the 90 day and/or 365 day five year rolling mean or other disease issues of significance identified during the reporting period. All diseases reported are analysed by notification receive date. Data are extracted each Monday of a CDNA week.

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.

  1. The past quarter (90 day) surveillance period includes the date range 25 May 2014 to 22 August 2014.
  2. The quarterly (90 day) five year rolling mean is the average of 5 intervals of 90 days up to 22 August 2014. The ratio is the notification activity in the past quarter (90 days) compared with the five year rolling mean for the same period.
  3. The past year (365 day) surveillance period includes the date range 23 August 2013 to 22 August 2014.
  4. The yearly (365 day) five year rolling mean is the average of 5 intervals of 365 days up to 22 August 2014. The ratio is the notification activity in the past year (365 days) compared with the five year rolling mean for the same period.

The five year rolling mean and the ratio of notifications compared with the five year rolling mean should be interpreted with caution. Changes in surveillance practice, diagnostic techniques and reporting may contribute to increases or decreases in the total notifications received over a five year period. Ratios are to be taken as a crude measure of current disease activity and may reflect changes in reporting rather than changes in disease activity.

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Table of communicable disease notifications reported to the NNDSS for this fortnight

Please use the scroll bar located at the end of the table below to view all columns.

A copy of the table of communicable disease notifications for this fortnight is also included in the PDF printable version of the NNDSS report.

Notifications of Nationally Notifiable Diseases for the period 09/08/2014 to 22/08/2014

Footnotes:

Ratio of the 90 day prior surveillance period to the past 90 day 5 year rolling mean, or ratio of the 365 day prior surveillance period to the 365 day 5 year rolling mean.

NN = Not Notifiable, NDP = No Data Provided, NEC = Not Elsewhere Classified

Dates used are:

  • Past Quarter (90d prior surveillance period): 25/05/2014 to 22/08/2014
  • Quarterly rolling 5Yr Mean (90d 5Yr Mean):
  • Quarterly rolling 5Yr Mean (90d 5Yr Mean) 1: 25/05/2013 to 22/08/2013
  • Quarterly rolling 5Yr Mean (90d 5Yr Mean) 2: 25/05/2012 to 22/08/2012
  • Quarterly rolling 5Yr Mean (90d 5Yr Mean) 3: 25/05/2011 to 22/08/2011
  • Quarterly rolling 5Yr Mean (90d 5Yr Mean) 4: 25/05/2010 to 22/08/2010
  • Quarterly rolling 5Yr Mean (90d 5Yr Mean) 5: 25/05/2009 to 22/08/2009
  • Past year (365d prior surveillance period): 23/08/2013 to 22/08/2014
  • Yearly rolling 5Yr Mean (365d 5Yr Mean):
  • Yearly rolling 5Yr Mean (365d 5Yr Mean) 1: 23/08/2012 to 22/08/2013
  • Yearly rolling 5Yr Mean (365d 5Yr Mean) 2: 25/08/2011 to 22/08/2012
  • Yearly rolling 5Yr Mean (365d 5Yr Mean) 3: 23/08/2010 to 22/08/2011
  • Yearly rolling 5Yr Mean (365d 5Yr Mean) 4: 23/08/2009 to 22/08/2010
  • Yearly rolling 5Yr Mean (365d 5Yr Mean) 5: 23/08/2008 to 22/08/2009
State or Territory Totals for Australia Historical 90 Day Period Historical 365 Day Period
Disease ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA This
Reporting
Period		 Previous
Reporting
Period		 Same
Reporting
Period
Last Year		 2014 YTD Past
Quarter		 Quarterly
Rolling
5 year
mean		 Ratio
Past
Quarter
/5 year
mean		 Exceeds
Quarterly
rolling
mean +2
SD by		 Past
Year		 Yearly
rolling
5 year
mean		 Ratio
Past
year
/5 year
mean		 Exceeds
Yearly
rolling
mean +2
SD by;
Bloodborne diseases
Hepatitis (NEC) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Hepatitis B (newly acquired) 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 4 6 3 120 33 46.2 0.7 - 181 217.2 0.8 -
Hepatitis B (unspecified) 4 90 2 40 9 1 45 30 221 228 289 4,234 1,647 1,716.6 0.9 - 6,744 6,758.6 1.0 -
Hepatitis C (newly acquired) 0 3 0 0 1 1 5 0 10 13 11 295 119 99.4 1.1 - 451 414.8 1.1 -
Hepatitis C (unspecified) 10 153 7 126 22 2 65 26 411 425 434 6,640 2,607 2,575.4 1.0 - 10,440 10,399.4 1.0 -
Hepatitis D 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 29 13 10.8 1.1 - 50 37.2 1.3 -
Gastrointestinal diseases
Botulism 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.4 0.0 - 1 1.4 0.7 -
Campylobacteriosis 14 NN 18 208 77 38 99 90 544 716 451 12,083 4,578 3,586.2 1.2 191.1 18,019 16,093.0 1.1 -
Cryptosporidiosis 0 6 3 17 3 2 15 5 51 80 51 1,807 491 420.8 1.1 - 2,505 2,949.0 0.8 -
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 17 4 3.4 1.2 - 22 15.8 1.4 -
Hepatitis A 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 6 8 142 29 48.8 0.6 - 197 268.4 0.7 -
Hepatitis E 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 34 18 8.0 2.3 3.2 45 36.0 1.3 -
Listeriosis 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 50 15 16.2 0.9 - 73 78.2 0.9 -
STEC, VTEC 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 4 3 3 92 28 17.8 1.5 5.6 184 108.2 1.7 23.8
Salmonellosis 7 87 27 94 33 6 75 40 369 439 304 11,135 3,086 2,012.4 1.5 409.5 15,335 11,188.4 1.4 1,417.7
Shigellosis 1 5 4 5 2 0 22 3 42 31 17 700 244 117.0 1.9 71.4 898 569.0 1.5 86.3
Typhoid Fever 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 1 80 22 19.4 1.1 - 121 121.8 1.0 -
Quarantinable diseases
Cholera 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1.4 0.7 - 4 4.6 0.9 -
HPAIH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Plague 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Rabies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Smallpox 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Viral haemorrhagic fever (NEC) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Yellow fever 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Sexually transmissible infections
Chlamydial infection 38 770 90 757 166 42 473 410 2,746 3,174 3,257 55,366 20,398 18,830.0 1.1 - 84,622 74,921.0 1.1 -
Donovanosis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.4 0.0 - 1 0.8 1.3 -
Gonococcal infection 2 112 63 94 12 1 48 76 408 487 591 10,155 3,636 2,844.0 1.3 - 15,659 11,259.2 1.4 -
Syphilis - congenital 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 2 1.8 1.1 - 4 4.8 0.8 -
Syphilis < 2 years 0 6 2 15 0 1 14 2 28 50 83 1,059 358 346.8 1.0 - 1,703 1,374.0 1.2 -
Syphilis > 2 years or unspecified duration 3 3 5 14 2 1 58 2 32 72 79 1,140 388 372.4 1.0 - 1,712 1,408.8 1.2 31.8
Vaccine preventable diseases
Diphtheria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.0 0.0 - 2 1.0 2.0 -
Haemophilus influenzae type b 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 13 7 7.4 0.9 - 19 18.4 1.0 -
Influenza (laboratory confirmed) 267 4,821 58 3,348 1,573 109 1,082 763 12,021 7,601 3,012 33,353 27,437 20,072.6 1.3 - 50,175 32,380.0 1.5 -
Measles 1 3 0 1 0 0 6 2 13 11 12 302 97 29.4 3.1 17.4 411 122.0 3.3 191.7
Mumps 0 3 0 4 0 0 0 2 9 6 5 130 41 40.8 1.0 - 192 166.8 1.2 -
Pertussis 15 91 4 42 15 1 125 70 363 427 471 5,890 2,288 5,888.6 0.4 - 10,379 29,011.8 0.4 -
Pneumococcal disease (invasive) 1 33 2 14 10 0 26 13 99 85 107 961 563 611.0 0.9 - 1,530 1,710.0 0.9 -
Poliomyelitis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Rubella 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 12 5 11.2 0.4 - 21 39.0 0.5 -
Rubella Congenital 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 0.0 - 1 0.4 2.5 -
Tetanus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.4 0.0 - 1 3.8 0.3 -
Varicella zoster (Chickenpox)+ 0 NN 3 0 11 0 0 16 30 40 82 1,124 379 508.4 0.7 - 2,059 1,951.8 1.1 -
Varicella zoster (Shingles)+ 0 NN 5 0 37 5 0 39 86 151 172 3,344 1,145 906.6 1.3 - 5,234 3,677.0 1.4 -
Varicella zoster (Unspecified)+ 11 NN 0 231 25 9 1 63 340 423 371 6,842 2,555 1,920.8 1.3 26.4 10,741 7,588.6 1.4 822.0
Vectorborne diseases
Arbovirus infection (NEC) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 25 4 4.6 0.9 - 32 12.8 2.5 6.4
Barmah Forest virus infection 0 2 0 7 0 0 0 1 10 19 109 616 140 422.0 0.3 - 1,429 2,113.2 0.7 -
Dengue virus infection 0 6 2 2 4 0 0 18 32 37 76 1,244 325 270.4 1.2 - 1,748 1,308.2 1.3 -
Japanese encephalitis virus infection 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.6 0.0 - 1 1.0 1.0 -
Kunjin virus infection 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 0.0 - 2 1.2 1.7 -
Malaria 2 2 1 3 0 1 0 0 9 10 14 206 75 115.4 0.6 - 334 428.8 0.8 -
Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1.0 0.0 - 0 4.4 0.0 -
Ross River virus infection 0 32 11 63 2 0 0 35 143 119 106 3,476 950 728.8 1.3 - 4,645 4,809.8 1.0 -
Zoonoses
Anthrax 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.2 0.0 -
Australian bat lyssavirus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.2 0.0 -
Brucellosis 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 1 0 13 6 5.4 0.9 - 20 29.0 0.7 -
Leptospirosis 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 3 71 27 31.2 0.9 - 96 137.8 0.7 -
Lyssavirus (NEC) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 - 0 0.0 0.0 -
Ornithosis 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 19 7 15.4 0.4 - 41 71.6 0.6 -
Q fever 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 7 16 16 314 94 94.2 1.0 - 468 367.6 1.3 13.4
Tularaemia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 0.0 - 0 0.5 0.0 -
Other bacterial infections
Legionellosis 0 2 1 2 0 0 3 5 13 18 29 254 88 93.4 0.9 - 469 346.2 1.3 3.8
Leprosy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 1 2.4 0.4 - 12 8.4 1.4 -
Meningococcal disease (invasive) 1 0 0 4 1 0 1 0 7 7 15 93 48 72.4 0.6 - 145 235.0 0.6 -
Tuberculosis 1 13 1 21 0 0 17 4 57 65 57 840 348 305.6 1.1 - 1,301 1,328.8 1.0 -
Totals 378 6,255 309 5,123 2,009 220 2,188 1,720 18,134 14,776 10,257 164,336 74,348        250,479       

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