PDF file - Department of Health and Ageing

Annual report National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, 2004
An outbreak of Q fever occurred among persons
attending sheep saleyards in rural South Australia
during October and November 2004. In total, 25 persons
were linked to this outbreak. A case-control
study identifi ed a statistically signifi cant association
between human illness and attendance at the saleyard.
Intervention strategies including vaccination
and dust control were implemented. Many of the
cases were unvaccinated sheep and grain farmers.
Q fever has long been associated with work in the
Australian stock industry and abattoir workers are
an occupational group at high risk of infection. Since
October 2000, abattoir workers and shearers have
been eligible for free vaccination under the National
Q Fever Management Program (Figure 61). The
second phase of the Q fever vaccination program
began in October 2001 to include workers in the
beef, sheep and dairy industries and was due for
completion on 30 June 2004. Several jurisdictions
have completed the Program, however, Victoria and
South Australia have extended the Program until
30 June 2006 and Queensland has extended it until
30 June 2007.
Figure 61. Notification rates of Q fever,
Queensland and New South Wales, January
1999 to December 2004, by month of onset*
virus. 39 The veterinary doctor involved in autopsy of
the horse developed a Hendra-related illness soon
after and recovered. This was an isolated case.
Hendra was also suspected in a horse that died
south of Cairns in October 2004. These cases are
consistent with previous fi ndings and do not refl ect
a change in the known distribution or epidemiology
of Hendra virus in Australia. 39 The timing of incidents
suggests a seasonal pattern of outbreaks possibly
related to the seasonality of fruit bat birthing, as
Hendra virus has been isolated from foetal tissues
and fl uids. 42
This report of the re-emergence of Hendra virus,
and repeated outbreaks of Nipah virus-associated
encephalitis in humans in Bangladesh underline our
still-limited understanding of the ecology of these
agents, and the need to maintain surveillance and
research efforts. 39
Other bacterial infections
Legionellosis, leprosy, meningococcal infection and
tuberculosis were notifi able in all states and territories
in 2004 and classifi ed as ‘other bacterial infections’
in NNDSS. A total of 1,799 notifi cations were
included in this group in 2004, which accounted
for 1.6 per cent of all the notifi cations to NNDSS, a
similar total and proportion as in 2003 (1,826 notifi -
cations and 1.7% of total).
Rate per 100,000 population
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Jan Jul
1999
New South Wales
Queensland
Jan
2000
Jul
Jan
2001
National Q Fever Management Program - Phase 1
Implementation, July 2001 - Mar 2002
Phase 2 implementation, July 2002 -
present
Jul
Jan
2002
Jul
Jan
2003
Month and year of onset
Jul
Jan
2004
Jul
Legionellosis
Case defi nition – Legionellosis
Both confirmed cases and probable cases
are notifi ed.
Confirmed case: Requires isolation of
Legionella, OR the presence of Legionella
urinary antigen OR seroconversion or a signifi -
cant increase in antibody level or a fourfold or
greater rise in titre to Legionella.
Other emerging zoonotic disease in
2004
Bat-associated emerging zoonoses (Hendra and
Nipah virus activity 2004)
Surveillance of fl ying foxes (Pteropus spp.) and associated
research continued to focus on henipaviruses
in 2004. Hendra virus is a viral infection associated
with fl ying foxes. Sporadic infections may occur in
horses that come in close contact with infected flying
foxes or their body fl uids. A horse from Cairns examined
by a veterinarian in early December 2004 and
subsequently euthanised, tested positive to Hendra
AND Fever or cough or pneumonia.
Probable case: Single high titre antibody titre
to Legionella, OR detection of Legionella by
nucleic acid testing, OR detection of Legionella
by direct fl uorescence assay.
AND Fever or cough or pneumonia.
68 CDI Vol 30 No 1 2006