New South Wales Public Health Bulletin

In Australia, tuberculosis notification rates have plateaued at a low level and disease is highly concentrated in immigrant communities where children may be affected. Many clinicians regard tuberculosis as an adult disease, hence it is rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of sick children. This paper provides a brief overview of the natural history of the disease in children to demonstrate the importance of taking a careful tuberculosis exposure history. It also provides guidance regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis in children...

Molecular strain typing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been possible for only about 20 years; it has significantly improved our understanding of the evolution and epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and tuberculosis disease. Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit typing, based on 24 variable number tandem repeat unit loci, is highly discriminatory, relatively easy to perform and interpret and is currently the most widely used molecular typing system for tuberculosis surveillance. Nevertheless, clusters identified by mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit typing sometimes cannot be confirmed or adequately defined by contact tracing and additional methods are needed...

AIM: To describe the epidemiology of tuberculosis in NSW between 2009 and 2011 and compare with previous years. METHODS: Data from all cases of tuberculosis notified in NSW during this period were extracted from the Notifiable Conditions Information Management System. Descriptive analyses of notification data were undertaken. Incidence rates were calculated per 100000 population. RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2011, there were 1548 cases of tuberculosis notified in NSW, translating to an average annual notification rate of 7...

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For updated information, including data and facts on specific diseases, visit www.health.nsw.gov.au and click on Public Health and then Infectious Diseases. The communicable diseases site is available at: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/publichealth/infectious/index.asp.

UNLABELLED: Lead poses a health risk to young children with detrimental effects on their intellectual development. Attendance rates for Aboriginal children at routine blood lead screening and at follow-up appointments in Broken Hill, NSW, have declined in recent years. This study sought to identify strategies to improve the participation of Aboriginal children aged 1-4 years in blood lead screening services in Broken Hill. METHODS: Attendance rates during the period 2000-2010 were determined using the Broken Hill Lead Management database...

AIM: In the absence of published statewide notification data, the aim of this study was to analyse trends in notifiable blood lead levels (hereafter referred to as lead poisoning) in NSW from 1998 to 2008, to help inform lead poisoning notification policy. METHODS: NSW blood lead poisoning notification data for 1998-2008 were extracted from the Notifiable Diseases Database and analysed by age, gender and Area Health Service of residence. RESULTS: There were 6000 lead poisoning notifications from 1998 to 2008, with an average annual notification rate of 11...

Chemicals are ubiquitous in everyday life. Environmental health practitioners rely on a complex web of regulators and policy bodies to ensure the protection of public health, yet few understand the full extent of this web. A lack of understanding can hamper public health response and impede policy development. In this paper we map the public health chemicals policy landscape in Australia and conclude that an understanding of this system is essential for effective environmental health responses and policy development...

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Measles has been eliminated in NSW for more than a decade; however outbreaks associated with international travel do occur. This EpiReview describes the epidemiology of measles in NSW from 2002-2011. A total of 281 cases of measles were notified during the period, an average annual notification rate of 0.41 notifications per 100 000 population (range: 0.06-1.25). There were 139 hospitalisations recorded with a measles diagnosis in the 10-year reporting period, corresponding to a rate of 0.20 hospitalisations per 100 000 population...

AIM: This report summarises Australian passive surveillance data for adverse events following immunisation in NSW for 2011. METHODS: Analysis of de-identified information on all adverse events following immunisation reported to the Therapeutic Goods Administration. RESULTS: 449 adverse events following immunisation were reported for vaccines administered in 2011; this is slightly higher than in 2010 (n=439) and the second highest number since 2003...

UNLABELLED: This annual report, the third in the series, documents trends in immunisation coverage in NSW for children, adolescents and the elderly, to the end of 2011. METHODS: Data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register, the NSW School Immunisation Program and the NSW Population Health Survey were used to calculate various measures of population coverage. RESULTS: During 2011, greater than 90% coverage was maintained for children at 12 and 24 months of age...

AIM: To describe the epidemiology of selected vaccine-preventable diseases in NSW for 2011. METHODS: Data from the NSW Notifiable Conditions Information Management System were analysed by: local health district of residence, age, Aboriginality, vaccination status, and organism, where available. Risk factor and vaccination status data were collected by public health units for case-patients following notification under the NSW Public Health Act 1991*. RESULTS: Outbreaks of measles and pertussis were reported in 2011, associated with unimmunised groups for measles, and a variety of factors for pertussis...

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