Gonorrhoea enhanced surveillance for indigenous status and risk factors in the south-eastern Sydney population.

Background: Gonorrhoea incidence is increasing in the Australian population. As a laboratory notifiable disease in NSW, information is not routinely available on indigenous status, sexual preference or other risk factors for infection. We conducted a 12-month pilot of enhanced surveillance in south-eastern Sydney in order to assess the feasibility of gathering this additional information.

Seven Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreaks in Australia Linked by Trace-Back and Whole Genome Sequencing.

Salmonella Typhimurium is a common cause of foodborne illness in Australia. We report on seven outbreaks of Salmonella Typhimurium multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) 03-26-13-08-523 (European convention 2-24-12-7-0212) in three Australian states and territories investigated between November 2015 and March 2016. We identified a common egg grading facility in five of the outbreaks.

Emerging recombinant noroviruses identified by clinical and waste water screening.

Norovirus is estimated to cause 677 million annual cases of gastroenteritis worldwide, resulting in 210,000 deaths. As viral gastroenteritis is generally self-limiting, clinical samples for epidemiological studies only partially represent circulating noroviruses in the population and is biased towards severe symptomatic cases. As infected individuals from both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases shed viruses into the sewerage system at a high concentration, waste water samples are useful for the molecular epidemiological analysis of norovirus genotypes at a population level.

Enhanced surveillance of a lymphogranuloma venereum outbreak in Sydney 2010-2012.

Objectives: To investigate an increase in lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) notifications in New South Wales (NSW).

Methods: Enhanced surveillance of notified LGV cases in NSW between May 2010 and April 2012 using doctor and patient questionnaires.

Results: Thirty-seven doctors who had diagnosed 67 (76%) of 88 notified anorectal LGV infections were interviewed.

HIV testing rates and co-infection among patients with tuberculosis in south-eastern Sydney, 2008-2013.

Objective: To evaluate the rate of HIV and tuberculosis co-infection and changes in HIV testing practices for patients with tuberculosis managed in South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), New South Wales, Australia.

Design, Participants And Setting: A retrospective review of tuberculosis notification data from four public tuberculosis treatment clinics in SESLHD (population, >800,000), 2008-2013. Data were extracted from the NSW Notifiable Conditions Information Management System.

Men who have sex with men, infectious syphilis and HIV coinfection in inner Sydney: results of enhanced surveillance.

Unlabelled: Background The resurgence of infectious syphilis in men who have sex with men (MSM) has been documented worldwide; however, HIV coinfection and syphilis reinfections in MSM in inner Sydney have not been published.

Methods: For all laboratory syphilis notifications assessed as a newly notified case or reinfection, a questionnaire was sent to the requesting physician seeking demographic data and disease classification. Sex of partner and HIV status were collected for all infectious syphilis notifications in men received from 1 April 2006 to March 2011.

A community outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in sydney associated with a public swimming facility: a case-control study.

In February, 2008, the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Public Health Unit investigated an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis within the south east region of Sydney, Australia. Thirty-one cases with laboratory-confirmed cryptosporidiosis and 97 age- and geographically matched controls selected by random digit dialling were recruited into a case-control study and interviewed for infection risk factors. Cryptosporidiosis was associated with swimming at Facility A (matched odds ratio = 19.

Compliance with sharps waste standards by a sample of Sydney acupuncture premises.

Aim: To examine current practices with regard to the safe collection, storage and disposal of sharps waste in acupuncture premises and to determine compliance with the NSW Public Health (Skin Penetration) Regulation 2000 and the NSW Health Skin Penetration Code of Best Practice.

Methods: A random sample of acupuncturists in the City of Sydney local government area was selected and surveyed using a structured questionnaire.

Results: All 26 acupuncturists surveyed had sharps disposal bins and complied with the Regulation, but the following elements of the Code were not uniformly followed: regular disposal of sharps (77%), disposal through a waste contractor (23%) and placement of bins out of reach of visitors (8%).

An outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium 108/170 at a privately catered barbeque at a Sydney sports club.

An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness was identified among attendees at a large community barbeque at a Sydney sports club on 30 January 2009. A retrospective cohort study was initiated, and attendees were identified through hospital emergency department gastroenteritis presentations, snowball recruitment through known cases, responders to linguistically specific press, and those returning to the venue the next week. A symptom and food history was collected from attendees, and stool samples were provided for microbiological investigation.

Staff immunisation: policy and practice in child care.

Aim: The aims of this study were to determine the level of knowledge among child-care centre directors regarding the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommendations for the immunisation of child-care workers, the extent to which this knowledge was translated into practice and any organisational barriers to the development and implementation of staff immunisation policy.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey, conducted in August 2006, in which a postal questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 784 NSW child-care centres. Centre directors were asked to complete the questionnaire on immunisation knowledge, policy and practice for the centre.

Opportunistic immunisation of infants admitted to hospital: are we doing enough?

Aim: To determine the accuracy and effectiveness of opportunistic immunisation of children admitted to the paediatric unit of a large teaching hospital using retrospectively collected data.

Methods: Immunisation status, documented using clinical indicator (CI) forms, of all admissions over a 1-year period was compared with that recorded by the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. In order to determine the effectiveness of providing catch-up plans, we analysed the difference in catch-up times of the children with and without a catch-up plan on their CI form.

Epidemic infectious syphilis in inner Sydney--strengthening enhanced surveillance.

Objective: To report the results of a 2001-04 enhanced syphilis surveillance program in south-eastern Sydney and a subset of cases from the Sydney Sexual Health Centre (SSHC).

Methods: For all laboratory syphilis notifications, a questionnaire was sent to the referring doctor requesting demographic data, clinical information about disease classification and the presence of symptoms. Sex of partner/s and HIV status were collected from a subset of cases seen at SSHC.

Bound for Sydney town: health surveillance on international cruise vessels visiting the Port of Sydney.

A program for routine health surveillance on international cruise ships visiting the Port of Sydney has been developed since 1998. Before introduction of this program, ships only reported quarantinable diseases and were not aware of the Australian requirement to report other infectious diseases. Voluntary routine reporting, developed in partnership with the cruise ship industry, provides timely information on all infectious diseases of public health interest during every cruise.