Kylie Begg, Paul Roche, Rhonda Owen, Conan Liu, Marlena Kaczmarek, Aurysia Hii, Stefan Stirzaker, Ann McDonald, Gerard Fitzsimmons, Peter McIntyre, Robert Menzies, Iain East, David Coleman, Krissa O'Neil

With contributions from:

National organisations

Communicable Diseases Network Australia and subcommittees

Australian Childhood Immunisation Register

Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme

Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme

Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network

Australian Quarantine Inspection Service

National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research

National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases

National Enteric Pathogens Surveillance Scheme

World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza

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State and territory health departments

Communicable Diseases Control Unit, ACT Health

Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Control Unit, New South Wales

Health Department, New South Wales

Centre for Disease Control, Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services, Northern Territory

Communicable Diseases Unit, Queensland Health, Queensland

Communicable Disease Control Branch, South Australian Department of Health, South Australia

Communicable Diseases Prevention Unit, Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania

Communicable Diseases Section, Department of Human Services, Victoria,

Communicable Diseases Control Directorate, Department of Health, Western Australia

Abstract

In 2006, 66 diseases and conditions were nationally notifiable in Australia. States and territories reported a total of 138,511 cases of communicable diseases to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System: an increase of 10.4% on the number of notifications in 2005. In 2006, the most frequently notified diseases were sexually transmissible infections (57,941 notifications, 42% of total notifications), gastrointestinal diseases (27,931 notifications, 20% of total notifications) and vaccine preventable diseases (22,240 notifications, 16% of total notifications). There were 19,111 notifications of bloodborne diseases; 8,606 notifications of vectorborne diseases; 1,900 notifications of other bacterial infections; 767 notifications of zoonoses and 3 notifications of quarantinable diseases. Commun Dis Intell 2008;32:139–207.

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Author details

Kylie Begg¹

Paul W Roche¹

Rhonda Owen¹

Conan Liu¹

Marlena Kaczmarek¹

Aurysia Hii¹

Stefan Stirzaker¹

Ann McDonald²

Gerard Fitzsimmons³

Peter B McIntyre⁴

Robert Menzies⁴

Iain East⁵

David Coleman⁶

Krissa O'Neil¹

1. Surveillance Policy and Systems Section, Office of Health Protection, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

2. National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales

3. Epidemiologist, OzFoodNet, Food Safety and Surveillance Section, Office of Health Protection, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

4. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, Westmead, New South Wales

5. Epidemiology and Modelling Section, Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

6. Communicable Diseases Prevention Unit, Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania

Corresponding author: Ms Rhonda Owen, Surveillance Policy and Systems, Office of Health Protection, Department of Health and Ageing, GPO Box 9848 (MDP 6), CANBERRA ACT 2601. Telephone: +61 2 6289 2709 Facsimile: +61 2 6289 2600. Email: epi AT health.gov.au

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