PDF file - Department of Health and Ageing

National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, 2004
Annual report
The highest rates were reported from the Northern
Territory (6.0 cases per 100,000 population,
12 cases), Tasmania (3.7 cases per 100,000 population,
18 cases) and the Australian Capital Territory
(3.4 cases per 100,000 population, 11 cases). There
was a small excess of cases among males (male
to female ratio 1.2:1). The largest number of cases
occurred in winter and spring (Figure 64).
Figure 64. Trends in notification rates of
meningococcal infection, Australia, 2002 to
2004, by month of notification
Rate per 100,000 population
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Jan
2002
Apr Jul Oct Jan
2003
Apr Jul Oct Jan
2004
Month and year of notification
Apr Jul Oct
Of the 408 meningococcal notifi cations in 2004,
342 (84%) were serogrouped. Of these 248 (73%)
were serogroup B, 75 (22%) were serogroup C,
and 19 (6%) were infections with serogroup Y,
serogroup W135 or serogroup A (Table 25). In 2003,
of 465 serogrouped notifi cations, 289 (62%) were
serogroup B, and 158 (34%) were serogroup C.
Overall, the highest age specifi c rate was in children
aged 0–4 years with a rate of 10.4 cases per
100,000 population. Of these cases, 99 (75%),
were serogroup B infection. In the 15–19 year age
group, the overall rate of meningococcal infection
was 4.8 cases per 100,000 population, 56 per cent
(37 cases) of which were serogroup C.
The highest age-specifi c rates for serogroup B
infection have persisted in the 0–4 years age group
since 2000. In 2004, the rate for this age group was
6.5 cases per 100,000 population, (82 cases), while
in the 15–19 years age group, the rate was 2.7 cases
per 100,000 infections (37 cases) (Figure 65).
Figure 65. Notification rates of meningococcal B
infection, Australia, 2000 to 2004, by age group
Rate per 100,000 population
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Year of onset
Between 2002 and 2004, rates of meningococcal
serogroup C infection decreased in all age groups.
There was a marked decrease in infection rates
during 2003, the year the National Meningococcal C
Vaccination Program was introduced. General
practitioner based vaccination of 1–5-year-olds was
completed at the end of 2004 in all jurisdictions.
School based vaccination programs, fi rst targeting
15–19-year-olds, then 6–14-year-olds, were complete
in all jurisdictions, except South Australia by
December 2004.
The decrease in rates of serogroup C infection was
greatest in the 15–19 year age group. In 2002,
the serogroup C infection rate in the 15–19 year
age group, was 4.6 cases per 100,000 population
(63 cases). The rate in this age group decreased
to 1.1 cases per 100,000 population (15 cases) in
2004. In the 0–4 year age group, the rate decreased
from 1.8 to 0.4 cases per 100,000 population from
2002 to 2004. There were similar declines in the
5–9 and 20–24 year age groups (Figure 66).
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
Table 25. Notifications of meningococcal infection Australia, 2004, by state or territory and
serogroup
Species State or territory Total
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas Vic WA
Serogroup B 4 82 8 49 11 7 55 32 248
Serogroup C 7 24 1 19 1 5 12 6 75
Other serogroups* 0 8 1 4 0 1 4 1 19
Unknown serogroup 0 39 2 9 1 5 8 2 66
Total 11 153 12 81 13 18 79 41 408
* Other includes serogroups A, Y and W135.
CDI Vol 30 No 1 2006 71