Communicable Diseases Surveillance - Tables

This report published in Communicable Diseases Intelligence Volume 22, No 13, 24 December 1998 contains an analysis and tables of monthly notifiable diseases and laboratory data, and quarterly surveillance reports.

Page last updated: 19 January 1999

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




There were 5,530 notifications to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) in the four week period, 11 November to 8 December 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 1,634 reports received by the Virology and Serology Laboratory Reporting Scheme (LabVISE) in the four week period, 5 November to 2 December 1998 (Tables 3 and 4).

The Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network (ASPREN) data for weeks 44 to 47, ending 29 November 1998, are included in this issue of CDI (Table 5).

Figure 3. Selected National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System reports, and historical data1

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 11 November to 8 December 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
3
0
2
0
0
0
0
5
3
34
47
Measles3
6
6
0
1
0
3
8
2
26
114
332
782
Mumps
0
1
0
0
2
0
8
5
16
10
172
181
Pertussis
16
154
3
111
27
4
75
5
395
1,600
6,208
9,464
Rubella4
1
7
0
11
2
2
8
5
36
101
764
1,391
Tetanus
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
7
7
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Table 2. Notifications of diseases received by State and Territory health authorities in the period 11 November to 8 December 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
4
0
0
9
0
14
0
80
36
Barmah Forest virus infection
0
12
3
18
0
0
0
1
34
30
534
676
Brucellosis
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
5
44
37
Campylobacteriosis7
30
-
13
456
349
23
506
137
1,514
1,035
11,928
10,980
Chlamydial infection (NEC)8
12
NN
57
345
67
19
197
124
821
676
10,272
8,547
Cholera
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
5
3
Dengue
0
2
1
67
0
0
0
0
70
2
500
207
Donovanosis
0
NN
0
0
NN
0
0
0
0
8
35
36
Gonococcal infection9
1
60
115
80
13
0
44
63
376
257
5,053
4,326
Hepatitis A
0
22
5
23
6
0
16
14
86
156
2,478
2,908
Hepatitis B incident
0
3
2
5
1
0
7
0
18
12
226
233
Hepatitis C incident10
0
3
0
-
6
0
-
-
23
13
323
74
Hepatitis C unspecified5
21
NN
26
268
NN
18
421
87
902
1,649
10,109
18,493
Hepatitis (NEC)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NN
0
0
4
5
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome11
NN
0
NN
1
0
0
NN
0
1
1
13
3
Hydatid infection
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
4
11
42
59
Legionellosis
1
4
0
0
9
0
4
3
21
20
245
145
Leprosy
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
11
Leptospirosis
0
1
0
7
0
1
7
2
18
11
179
117
Listeriosis
0
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
3
3
51
68
Malaria
2
6
1
22
3
0
4
1
39
17
665
710
Meningococcal infection
0
6
2
9
3
0
3
4
27
23
448
466
Ornithosis
2
NN
0
0
0
0
15
0
17
2
51
43
Q fever
0
21
0
15
0
0
11
0
47
40
548
561
Ross River virus infection
1
76
5
72
9
0
29
6
198
67
2,757
6,571
Salmonellosis (NEC)
5
96
41
197
36
4
101
36
516
551
7,373
6,611
Shigellosis7
NN
0
NN
NN
0
0
NN
NN
0
2
15
17
SLTEC, VTEC12
2
-
7
13
4
0
9
13
48
55
582
757
Syphilis13
1
24
30
67
1
0
1
4
128
75
1,444
1,205
Tuberculosis
0
10
2
9
2
2
29
5
59
98
903
926
Typhoid14
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
0
3
3
68
70
Yersiniosis (NEC)7
0
-
0
6
3
0
1
0
10
20
197
235

1. Diseases preventable by routine childhood immunisation are presented in Table 2.
2. For HIV and AIDS, see Tables 6 and 7.
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 5 November to 2 December 1998, and total reports for the year

  State or Territory1 Total this period Total reportedin CDI in 1998
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
Measles, mumps, rubella
Measles virus
1
1
1
3
57
Mumps virus
5
5
48
Rubella virus
1
4
4
9
112
Hepatitis viruses
Hepatitis A virus
4
4
13
16
37
380
Hepatitis D virus
1
1
2
8
Arboviruses
Ross River virus
4
5
39
7
55
667
Barmah Forest virus
1
7
1
9
39
Dengue type 3
7
7
7
Dengue not typed
4
4
40
Flavivirus (unspecified)
10
10
74
Adenoviruses
Adenovirus type 1
6
6
69
Adenovirus type 3
7
7
54
Adenovirus type 6
2
2
17
Adenovirus type 7
2
2
19
Adenovirus type 40
2
2
15
Adenovirus not typed/pending
30
3
15
12
21
81
833
Herpes viruses
Cytomegalovirus
17
2
20
10
1
16
5
71
778
Varicella-zoster virus
16
2
55
6
2
28
29
138
1,256
Epstein-Barr virus
14
10
69
29
12
51
185
1,781
Other DNA viruses
Contagious pustular dermatitis
(Orf virus)
1
1
9
Parvovirus
1
11
2
2
12
28
248
Picornavirus family
Coxsackievirus B5
1
1
5
Echovirus type 11
7
7
33
Echovirus type 30
3
3
3
Echovirus not typed/pending
1
1
2
Poliovirus type 1 (uncharacterised)
4
4
11
Poliovirus type 2 (uncharacterised)
2
1
3
14
Rhinovirus (all types)
1
25
5
4
35
442
Enterovirus not typed/pending
3
3
8
2
5
53
74
502
Ortho/paramyxoviruses
Influenza A virus
6
4
21
2
3
36
2,780
Influenza B virus
1
1
2
4
169
Parainfluenza virus type 1
7
1
8
284
Parainfluenza virus type 3
17
12
9
8
8
54
374
Parainfluenza virus type 4
1
1
1
Parainfluenza virus typing pending
1
1
5
Respiratory syncytial virus
22
5
57
2
7
16
109
4,797
Other RNA viruses
HTLV-1
1
1
19
Rotavirus
1
98
23
10
16
2
150
1,325
Astrovirus
1
1
10
Norwalk agent
1
1
38
Other
Chlamydia trachomatis not typed
33
16
95
18
3
7
78
250
3,332
Chlamydia psittaci
10
1
11
64
Chlamydia species
1
5
6
58
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
20
1
25
10
33
9
98
1,314
Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
10
10
1
6
1
28
137
Bordetella pertussis
4
1
36
34
3
78
968
Legionella pneumophila
1
1
6
Legionella longbeachae
1
3
4
33
Total
2
343
46
439
231
19
209
345
1,634
23,237

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 5 November to 2 December 1998

State or Territory
Laboratory
Reports
New South Wales Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead
New Children's Hospital, Westmead
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown
South West Area Pathology Service, Liverpool 		81
52
60
120
Queensland Queensland Medical Laboratory, West End
Townsville General Hospital 		478
20
South Australia Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide 230
Tasmania Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart 16
Victoria Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Fairfield 		123
89
Western Australia PathCentre Virology, Perth
Western Diagnostic Pathology 		314
51
Total   1,634
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Table 5. Australian Sentinel Practice Research Network reports, weeks 44 to 47, 1998

Week number 44 45 46 47
Week ending on
8 November 1998
15 November 1998
22 November 1998
29 November 1998
Doctors reporting
53
57
58
53
Total encounters
6,560
7.401
6,854
6546
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
2.8
17
2.6
9
1.2
16
2.3
14
Rubella
0.1
2
0.3
3
0.4
1
0.1
0
Measles
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
Chickenpox
2.0
13
2.0
13
1.8
15
2.2
14
Pertussis
1.1
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
0.0
0
HIV testing (patient initiated)
1.6
7
1.1
10
1.4
12
1.8
10
HIV testing (doctor initiated)
0.4
2
0.3
7
0.9
3
0.4
0
Td (ADT) vaccine
7.0
41
6.3
51
6.9
39
5.7
45
Pertussis vaccination
6.1
43
6.6
56
7.6
54
7.9
36
Reaction to pertussis vaccine
0.1
1
0.2
1
0.1
1
0.1
2
Ross River virus infection
0.0
1
0.2
0
0.0
1
0.1
2
Gastroenteritis
9.0
85
13.0
98
13.2
103
15.0
86


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 13, 24 December 1998.

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