Monica M Lahra, Rodney P Enriquez for the Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme

Introduction

The reference laboratories of the Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme (AMSP) report data on the number of cases confirmed by laboratory testing using culture and by non-culture based techniques. Culture positive cases, where Neisseria meningitidis is grown from a normally sterile site or skin lesions, and non-culture based diagnoses, derived from results of nucleic acid amplification assays and serological techniques, are defined as invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) according to Public Health Laboratory Network definitions. Data contained in quarterly reports are restricted to a description of the number of cases by jurisdiction and serogroup, where known. Some minor corrections to data in the Table may be made in subsequent reports if additional data are received. A full analysis of laboratory confirmed cases of IMD in each calendar year is contained in the AMSP annual reports published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence. For more information see Commun Dis Intell 2016;40(1):E13.

Results

Laboratory confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease for the period 1 January to 31 March 2016 are shown in the Table.

Table: Number of laboratory confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease, Australia, 1 January to 31 March 2016, by serogroup and state or territory

State or territory	Year	Serogroup
		A		B		C		Y		W135		ND		All
		Q1	YTD	Q1	YTD	Q1	YTD	Q1	YTD	Q1	YTD	Q1	YTD	Q1	YTD
Australian Capital Territory	2016	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2015	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
New South Wales	2016	0	0	5	5	1	1	1	1	4	4	2	2	13	13
	2015	0	0	3	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	5	5
Northern Territory	2016	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2015	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Queensland	2016	0	0	3	3	0	0	4	4	2	2	2	2	11	11
	2015	0	0	5	5	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	6	6
South Australia	2016	0	0	6	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	6
	2015	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
Tasmania	2016	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	2	2
	2015	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Victoria	2016	0	0	3	3	1	1	0	0	6	6	0	0	10	10
	2015	0	0	8	8	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	9	9
Western Australia	2016	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	3	3
	2015	0	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
Total	2016	0	0	18	18	2	2	5	5	16	16	4	4	45	45
	2015	0	0	21	21	1	1	1	1	2	2	0	0	25	25

Author details

Monica M Lahra^1,2

Rodney P Enriquez ¹

1. Neisseria Reference Laboratory and World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for STD, Sydney. Department of Microbiology, South Eastern Area Laboratory Services, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW
2. School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, New South Wales

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