Communicable Diseases Surveillance - Tables

This article published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 22, No 9, 3 September 1998 contains an analysis and tables of notifiable diseases and laboratory data, and quarterly surveillance reports.

Page last updated: 15 September 1998

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




There were 3,368 notifications to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) for this four week period, 22 July to 18 August 1998 (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 2,563 reports received by the Virology and Serology Laboratory Reporting Scheme (LabVISE) this four week period, 16 July to 12 August 1998 (Tables 3 and 4).

The Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network (ASPREN) data for weeks 28 to 31 ending 9 August 1998 are included in this issue of CDI (Table 5).

Table 1. Notifications of diseases preventable by vaccines recommended by the NHMRC for routine childhood immunisation, received by State and Territory health authorities in the period 22 July to 18 August 1998

Disease1,2
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA This period 1998 This period 1997 Year to date 1998 Year to date 1997
Diphtheria
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
H. influenzae type b infection
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
5
22
33
Measles3
2
8
0
6
0
4
3
5
28
62
236
371
Mumps
1
3
1
4
1
1
2
2
15
9
107
125
Pertussis
3
72
0
83
37
3
66
5
269
794
4,556
4,861
Rubella4
3
5
0
44
2
1
10
4
69
85
487
868
Tetanus
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
7

NN. Not Notifiable
1. No notification of poliomyelitis has been received since 1986.
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. The total number of measles notifications for 1998 has been revised downwards because of a reclassification of 79 cases previously notified as measles by Victoria. These cases have been reclassified as 'not measles' following results of serology.
4. Includes congenital rubella.

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Table 2. Notifications of diseases received by State and Territory health authorities in the period 22 July to 18 August 1998 (diseases preventable by routine childhood immunisation are presented in Table 1)

Disease1,2,3
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA This period 1998 This period 1997 Year to date 19984 Year to date 1997
Arbovirus infection (NEC)5
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
1
5
1
70
104
Barmah Forest virus infection
0
5
0
14
0
0
3
0
22
26
402
515
Brucellosis
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
4
2
28
19
Campylobacteriosis4,6
31
-
11
290
195
24
165
101
817
855
6,358
7,188
Chancroid
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
Chlamydial infection (NEC)7
7
NN
60
260
63
25
103
131
649
697
6,684
5,900
Cholera
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
2
Dengue
1
2
2
7
1
0
0
1
14
1
359
193
Donovanosis
0
NN
0
0
NN
0
0
2
2
6
24
23
Gonococcal infection8
1
58
100
81
9
2
47
86
384
304
3,438
2,892
Hepatitis A
3
41
7
65
7
0
5
8
136
210
1,977
2,163
Hepatitis B incident4
0
1
3
1
0
1
6
0
12
18
143
158
Hepatitis C incident9
0
5
0
-
5
0
-
-
10
4
104
49
Hepatitis C unspecified4
22
NN
22
201
NN
28
8
74
355
786
4,158
6,086
Hepatitis (NEC)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NN
0
1
4
14
Hydatid infection
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
5
4
26
28
Legionellosis
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
4
6
159
104
Leprosy
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
7
Leptospirosis
0
1
1
10
0
0
1
0
13
5
109
80
Listeriosis
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
8
36
56
Malaria
2
11
3
25
3
1
8
3
56
52
545
536
Meningococcal infection
0
19
6
9
4
5
5
7
55
51
248
273
Ornithosis
0
NN
0
0
0
0
3
1
4
2
24
37
Q fever
1
8
0
14
3
0
4
0
30
47
346
395
Ross River virus infection
0
6
5
26
1
1
0
3
42
121
2,366
6,296
Salmonellosis (NEC)
2
44
14
100
20
4
61
26
271
321
5,235
4,839
Shigellosis6
3
-
4
4
4
3
7
7
32
51
406
553
Syphilis10
1
36
33
30
7
0
0
6
113
100
891
821
Tuberculosis
4
8
2
16
0
0
15
4
49
74
616
650
Typhoid11
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
6
52
55
Yersiniosis (NEC)6
0
-
0
8
3
0
0
0
11
20
162
179

1. For HIV and AIDS, see Tables 6 and 7.
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. No notifications have been received during 1998 for the following rare diseases: botulism (foodborne), lymphogranuloma venereum, plague, rabies, yellow fever, or other viral haemorrhagic fevers. Two notifications of infant botulism have been received in 1998.
4. Data from Victoria for 1998 are incomplete.
5. NT: includes Barmah Forest virus.
6. Not reported for NSW because it is only notifiable as 'foodborne disease' or 'gastroenteritis in an institution'.
7. WA: genital only
8. NT, Qld, SA and Vic: includes gonococcal neonatal ophthalmia.
9. Qld, Vic and WA incident cases of Hepatitis C are not separately reported.
10. Includes congenital syphilis
11. NSW, Qld, Vic: includes paratyphoid.
NN Not Notifiable.
NEC Not Elsewhere Classified
- Elsewhere Classified.

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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.
2. Data from Victoria for 1998 are incomplete.
3. The total number of measles notifications for 1998 has been revised downwards because of a reclassification of 79 cases previously notified as measles by Victoria. These cases have been reclassified as not measles following results of serology.

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Table 3. Virology and serology laboratory reports by State or Territory1 for the reporting period 16 July to 12 August 1998, and total reports for the year

  State or Territory1 Total this period Total reported in CDI in 1998
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
Measles, mumps, rubella
Measles virus
 
 
 
 
1
 
3
3
7
46
Mumps virus
 
1
 
 
 
 
 
4
5
27
Rubella virus
 
1
 
8
2
 
 
1
12
75
Hepatitis viruses
Hepatitis A virus
 
5
1
12
6
1
 
11
36
288
Arboviruses
Ross River virus
 
 
2
12
1
 
 
10
25
554
Barmah Forest virus
 
 
 
2
 
 
 
 
2
24
Dengue not typed
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2
2
25
Murray Valley encephalitis virus
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
2
Japanese encephalitis virus
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
1
Flavivirus (unspecified)
 
 
 
5
 
 
 
 
5
49
Adenoviruses
Adenovirus type 3
 
 
 
 
 
 
5
 
5
26
Adenovirus type 7
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
 
1
15
Adenovirus type 40
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
 
1
5
Adenovirus not typed/pending
 
12
 
7
15
 
4
13
51
471
Herpes viruses
Herpes virus type 6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
3
Cytomegalovirus
 
13
1
17
2
 
21
9
63
492
Varicella-zoster virus
 
6
1
25
9
 
39
23
103
818
Epstein-Barr virus
 
6
3
38
23
2
8
39
119
1,109
Other DNA viruses
Papovavirus group
 
1
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
Molluscum contagiosum
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
2
Contagious pustular dermatitis (Orf virus)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
8
Parvovirus
 
 
 
4
2
 
1
8
15
129
Picornavirus family
Coxsackievirus B4
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
 
1
4
Echovirus type 5
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
 
1
2
Echovirus type 11
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
 
1
24
Poliovirus type 2 (uncharacterised)
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
 
1
5
Poliovirus type 3 (uncharacterised)
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
 
1
1
Rhinovirus (all types)
 
6
 
 
6
 
3
21
36
309
Enterovirus not typed/pending
 
 
 
5
 
 
 
23
28
308
Ortho/paramyxoviruses
Influenza A virus
 
43
3
37
169
 
88
130
470
1,545
Influenza B virus
 
1
 
 
5
 
2
8
16
125
Influenza virus - typing pending
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
2
Parainfluenza virus type 1
 
 
 
 
10
 
 
2
12
244
Parainfluenza virus type 2
 
 
 
 
2
 
 
1
3
29
Parainfluenza virus type 3
 
1
 
1
2
 
1
12
17
223
Respiratory syncytial virus
 
207
 
28
78
10
229
328
880
2,081
Other RNA viruses
HTLV-1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
13
Rotavirus
 
20
 
 
18
12
64
75
189
533
Other
Chlamydia trachomatis not typed
 
39
31
44
28
3
7
117
269
2,555
Chlamydia psittaci
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
33
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
 
17
3
50
15
3
27
1
116
905
Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
 
 
 
6
1
 
 
 
7
79
Bordetella pertussis
 
 
3
14
 
 
30
5
52
762
Legionella longbeachae
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2
2
27
Total
 
379
48
315
395
31
539
856
2,563
13,979

1. State or Territory of postcode, if reported, otherwise State or Territory of reporting laboratory.

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Table 4. Virology and serology laboratory reports by contributing laboratories for the reporting period 16 July to 12 August 1998

State or Territory
Laboratory
Reports
New South Wales Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown
122
South West Area Pathology Service, Liverpool
243
Queensland Queensland Medical Laboratory, West End
331
Townsville General Hospital
20
South Australia Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide
392
Tasmania Northern Tasmanian Pathology Service, Launceston
31
Victoria Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne
158
Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
194
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Fairfield
184
Western Australia PathCentre Virology, Perth
474
Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth
329
Western Diagnostic Pathology
85
Total  
2,563
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Table 5. Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network reports, weeks 28 to 31, 1998

Week number
28 29 30 31
Week ending on
19 July 1998
26 July 1998
2 August 1998
9 August 1998
Doctors reporting
59
60
57
55
Total encounters
7,729
8,152
7,208
7,483
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
139
18.0
121
14.8
135
18.7
163
21.8
Rubella
0
0.0
0
0.0
3
0.4
0
0.0
Measles
1
0.1
2
0.2
0
0.0
0
0.0
Chickenpox
13
1.7
14
1.7
14
1.9
13
1.7
Pertussis
1
0.1
1
0.1
1
0.1
2
0.3
HIV testing - patient initiated
12
1.6
13
1.6
15
2.1
23
3.1
HIV testing - doctor initiated
6
0.8
7
0.9
3
0.4
3
0.4
TD (ADT) vaccine
36
4.7
28
3.4
46
6.4
54
7.2
Pertussis vaccination
36
4.7
54
6.6
44
6.1
34
4.5
Reaction to pertussis vaccine
2
0.3
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
Ross River virus infection
0
0.0
0
0.0
1
0.1
1
0.1
Gastroenteritis
57
7.4
85
10.4
81
11.2
80
10.7


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 legislations. De-identified core unit data are supplied fortnightly for collation, analysis and dissemination. For further information, see Commun Dis Intell 1998;22:4-5.

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 1998;22:8.

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. CDI reports the consultation rates for all of these. For further information, including case definitions, see Commun Dis Intell 1998;22:5-6.


This article was published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 22, No 9, 3 September 1998.

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This issue - Vol 22, No 9, 3 September 1998