Communicable Diseases Surveillance - Tables

This report published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 22, No 12, 26 November 1998 contains an analysis and tables of monthly notifiable diseases and laboratory data, and quarterly surveillance reports.

Page last updated: 09 December 1998

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




There were 4,658 notifications to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) in the four week period, 14 October to 10 November 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 3).

There were 2,536 reports received by the Virology and Serology Laboratory Reporting Scheme (LabVISE) in the four week period, 8 October to 4 November 1998 (Tables 3 and 4).

The Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network (ASPREN) data for weeks 40 to 43, ending 1 November 1998, are included in this issue of CDI (Table 5).

Figure 3. Selected National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System reports, and historical data.1

Figure 3. 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 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 14 October to 10 November 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
2
0
0
0
0
2
1
28
44
Measles3
3
6
0
0
1
1
2
0
13
143
298
662
Mumps
0
1
1
0
0
1
2
1
6
9
154
169
Pertussis
16
100
1
105
22
7
65
8
324
1,096
5,678
7,671
Rubella4
2
4
0
26
0
1
10
5
48
116
721
1,275

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 14 October to 10 November 1998.

Disease1,2,3,4
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA This period 1998 This period 1997 Year to date 19985 Year to date 1997
Arbovirus infection (NEC)6
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
4
66
82
Barmah Forest virus infection
0
1
0
14
0
0
0
1
16
29
494
642
Brucellosis
0
0
0
4
0
0
1
0
5
1
41
31
Campylobacteriosis7
22
-
18
420
279
33
385
172
1,329
935
10,303
9,799
Chlamydial infection (NEC)8
10
NN
77
388
89
12
167
117
860
634
9,418
7,760
Cholera
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
3
Dengue
2
2
0
30
0
0
0
1
35
5
429
204
Donovanosis
0
NN
0
0
NN
0
0
0
0
0
30
28
Gonococcal infection9
3
56
137
112
23
1
53
63
448
227
4,680
3,992
Hepatitis A
1
18
3
96
10
0
7
9
144
221
2,375
2,737
Hepatitis B incident5
0
2
1
3
5
0
4
0
15
14
208
216
Hepatitis C incident10
2
8
0
-
3
2
-
-
23
2
282
60
Hepatitis C unspecified5
16
NN
26
218
NN
25
16
89
390
687
7,872
8,301
Hepatitis (NEC)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NN
0
0
4
5
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome11
NN
0
NN
0
1
0
NN
0
1
NA
11
NA
Hydatid infection
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
4
38
48
Legionellosis
0
1
0
4
4
0
19
3
31
11
215
125
Leprosy
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
10
Leptospirosis
0
0
0
10
0
0
4
0
14
10
148
106
Listeriosis
0
1
0
2
1
0
2
0
6
3
47
65
Malaria
1
5
0
9
2
0
5
5
27
15
622
691
Meningococcal infection
1
13
4
7
1
1
5
2
34
48
409
435
Ornithosis
0
NN
0
0
0
0
6
0
6
0
34
41
Q fever
0
9
0
20
1
0
0
1
31
44
490
518
Ross River virus infection
2
8
1
27
4
0
2
6
50
58
2,535
6,455
Salmonellosis (NEC)
8
72
33
163
35
9
131
61
512
414
6,782
5,985
Shigellosis7
0
-
9
19
5
0
9
6
48
54
537
696
SLTEC, VTEC12
NN
0
NN
NN
0
0
NN
NN
1
NA
15
NA
Syphilis13
1
19
38
39
2
1
0
2
102
89
1,306
1,111
Tuberculosis
0
11
5
8
1
0
28
5
58
76
835
818
Typhoid14
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
4
8
66
67
Yersiniosis (NEC)7
0
-
0
6
4
0
0
0
10
13
187
212

1. Diseases preventable by routine childhood immunisation are presented in Table 1.
2. For HIV and AIDS, see Tables 3 and 4.
3. 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.
4. 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. There have also been no cases of thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP), which became nationally reportable in August 1998.
5. Data from Victoria for 1998 are incomplete.
6. NT: includes Barmah Forest virus.
7. Not reported for NSW because it is only notifiable as 'foodborne disease' or 'gastroenteritis in an institution'.
8. WA: genital only.
9. NT, Qld, SA and Vic: includes gonococcal neonatal ophthalmia.
10. Qld and Vic incident cases of Hepatitis C are not separately reported.
11. Nationally reportable from August 1998.
12. Infections with Shiga-like toxin (verotoxin) producing E. Coli (SLTEC/VTEC) became nationally reportable in August 1998.
13. Includes congenital syphilis.
14. NSW, Qld, Vic: includes paratyphoid.
NN Not Notifiable.
NEC Not Elsewhere Classified.
- Elsewhere Classified.
NA Not applicable, as reporting for this condition did not commence until 1998.

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Table 3. Virology and serology laboratory reports by State or Territory1 for the reporting period 8 October to 4 November 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
1
2
54
Mumps virus
2
1
3
6
43
Rubella virus
4
1
2
7
103
Hepatitis viruses
Hepatitis A virus
1
4
4
1
6
16
343
Hepatitis D virus
1
1
6
Arboviruses
Ross River virus
8
1
1
5
15
612
Barmah Forest virus
1
1
2
30
Dengue not typed
2
2
4
36
Flavivirus (unspecified)
1
3
4
64
Adenoviruses
Adenovirus type 1
23
1
24
63
Adenovirus type 2
1
2
3
23
Adenovirus type 3
7
2
9
47
Adenovirus type 4
2
2
4
Adenovirus type 6
5
5
15
Adenovirus type 7
1
1
17
Adenovirus type 8
1
1
6
Adenovirus type 22
1
1
2
Adenovirus type 40
2
2
13
Adenovirus not typed/pending
25
3
49
1
15
12
105
752
Herpes viruses
Cytomegalovirus
10
7
14
2
41
7
81
707
Varicella-zoster virus
5
13
16
1
64
21
120
1,118
Epstein-Barr virus
10
1
40
85
26
16
178
1,596
Other DNA viruses
Papovavirus group
1
1
3
Parvovirus
3
4
19
6
32
220
Picornavirus family
Coxsackievirus A9
1
1
6
Coxsackievirus B4
1
1
2
8
Coxsackievirus B5
1
1
4
Echovirus type 18
1
1
7
Poliovirus type 1 (uncharacterised)
1
1
7
Poliovirus type 3 (uncharacterised)
1
1
4
Rhinovirus (all types)
17
9
8
34
407
Enterovirus not typed/pending
3
4
1
1
3
19
31
428
Ortho/paramyxoviruses
Influenza A virus
53
1
3
122
1
33
33
246
2,744
Influenza B virus
11
2
13
165
Parainfluenza virus type 1
5
1
6
276
Parainfluenza virus type 2
1
1
32
Parainfluenza virus type 3
4
16
6
14
40
320
Respiratory syncytial virus
116
6
278
80
312
46
838
4,688
Other RNA viruses
HTLV-1
1
1
2
18
Rotavirus
72
3
52
17
122
13
279
1,175
Norwalk agent
7
7
37
Other
Chlamydia trachomatis not typed
19
8
28
58
11
20
55
199
3,082
Chlamydia psittaci
12
1
13
53
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
13
16
34
58
6
127
1,216
Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
4
2
1
3
2
12
109
Bordetella pertussis
15
41
2
58
890
Legionella longbeachae
1
1
29
Total
351
19
158
796
114
819
279
2,536
21,582

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 8 October to 4 November 1998.

State or Territory
Laboratory
Reports
New South Wales New Children's Hospital, Westmead
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown
South West Area Pathology Service, Liverpool
178
53
113
Queensland Queensland Medical Laboratory, West End
Townsville General Hospital
162
8
South Australia Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide 796
Tasmania Northern Tasmanian Pathology Service, Launceston
Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart
28
84
Victoria
Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne
Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Fairfield
47
546
231
Western Australia
PathCentre Virology, Perth
Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth
Western Diagnostic Pathology
250
25
15
Total   2,536
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Table 5. Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network reports, weeks 40 to 43, 1998.

Week number
40 41 42 43
Week ending on
11 October 1998
18 October 1998
25 October 1998
1 November 1998
Doctors reporting
51
57
54
54
Total encounters
6157
7663
6589
7037
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
25
4.1
31
4.0
22
3.3
20
2.8
Rubella
5
0.8
3
0.4
0
0.0
1
0.1
Measles
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
Chickenpox
6
1.0
14
1.8
10
1.5
14
2.0
Pertussis
4
0.6
1
0.1
2
0.3
8
1.1
HIV testing (patient initiated)
11
1.8
4
0.5
14
2.1
11
1.6
HIV testing (doctor initiated)
4
0.6
10
1.3
7
1.1
3
0.4
Td (ADT) vaccine
41
6.7
46
6.0
37
5.6
49
7.0
Pertussis vaccination
37
6.0
49
6.4
40
6.1
43
6.1
Reaction to pertussis vaccine
2
0.3
4
0.5
0
0.0
1
0.1
Ross River virus infection
3
0.5
3
0.4
0
0.0
0
0.0
Gastroenteritis
94
15.3
79
10.3
62
9.4
63
9.0


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.

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.

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.

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 in 1998. 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 12, 26 November 1998.

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This issue - Vol 22, No 12, 26 November 1998