Publications by authors named "Linda Hobday"

Australia monitors its polio-free status by conducting surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years of age, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System, and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2022, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance and Australia reported 1.

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Australia monitors its polio-free status by conducting surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years of age, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System, and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2021, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance and Australia reported 1.

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Australia monitors its polio-free status by conducting surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years of age, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2020, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance; Australia reported 1.

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Australia monitors its polio-free status by conducting surveillance for cases of AFP in children less than 15 years of age, as recommended by the WHO. Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2018, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance and Australia reported 1.

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Australia monitors its polio-free status by conducting surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years of age, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2017, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance and Australia reported 1.

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Article Synopsis
  • Australia monitors polio-free status by tracking acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases in children under 15, in line with WHO recommendations, and reported 1.38 non-polio AFP cases per 100,000 children in 2016.
  • The withdrawal of Sabin poliovirus type 2 from the oral polio vaccine in April 2016 marks the beginning of intensified efforts to control remaining poliovirus strains, with the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory identified as a key facility.
  • By the end of 2016, wild polio cases were reported in three endemic countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan), highlighting the ongoing need for vigilant surveillance to ensure global eradication.
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Australia conducts surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the main method to monitor its polio-free status. Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2015, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance and Australia reported 1.

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Following the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation, Australia conducts surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years of age as the main method to monitor its polio-free status. Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2014, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance and Australia reported 1.

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Background: Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance rates are used as an indicator of surveillance sensitivity to detect poliomyelitis with an expected rate of ≥1 case per 100 000 population in children under 15 years of age.

Methods: The Australian AFP detection rates at sub-national (statistical local area) level were analysed using χ2 goodness of fit tests and exact Poisson probabilities for the combined years 2001-2015 to detect 'silent areas', which may require improved AFP detection efforts, and areas with greater than expected rates, which may indicate unexplained clusters such as those due to enterovirus infection.

Results: Eight (n=8/87, 9%) local areas had AFP surveillance detection rates that were less than expected, and eighteen local areas (n=18/87, 21%) had rates that were greater than expected.

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Australia conducts surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years of age as the main method to monitor its polio-free status in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System and faecal specimens are referred for virological investigation to the National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory. In 2013, no cases of poliomyelitis were reported from clinical surveillance and Australia reported 1.

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In 2012 no cases of poliomyelitis were reported through clinical surveillance in Australia, and poliovirus was not detected through virological surveillance. Australia conducts surveillance for cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in children less than 15 years as the main mechanism to monitor its polio-free status in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Cases of AFP in children are notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit or the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance System.

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Article Synopsis
  • Australia follows WHO guidelines for monitoring polio-like illnesses in children through acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, with cases reported by clinicians and enrolled by nurses at specific hospitals.
  • The National Enterovirus Reference Laboratory tests faecal specimens from AFP cases and has met WHO performance indicators for surveillance, reflecting a robust system for detecting potential polio cases.
  • Despite successful clinical detection, the low faecal collection rate highlighted gaps in virological surveillance; however, no poliovirus was found in 2010 or 2011, allowing Australia to maintain its polio-free status.
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Background: Australia uses acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance to monitor its polio-free status. The World Health Organization criterion for a sensitive AFP surveillance system is the annual detection of at least one non-polio AFP case per 100,000 children aged less than 15 years, a target Australia has not consistently achieved. Children exhibiting AFP are likely to be hospitalised and may be admitted to an intensive care unit.

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Aim: To determine the age specific immunity profile for rubella from three discrete study populations in Papua New Guinea, and to inform policy regarding the possible introduction of rubella vaccine.

Background: In 2005, the Western Pacific Region (WPR), of which Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a member state, declared the goal of regional measles elimination by 2012. Recently, WPR has incorporated an accelerated control goal for rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).

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Article Synopsis
  • The Australian National Poliovirus Reference Laboratory (NPRL) conducts testing on faecal specimens from acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases, working as a key poliovirus reference center for the Western Pacific Region, in line with WHO recommendations.
  • In 2009, Australia reported a non-polio AFP rate of 1.17 cases per 100,000 children under 15, with only 33.3% of the classified cases providing adequate faecal samples as required by WHO guidelines.
  • The laboratory identified a Sabin-like poliovirus from a non-AFP case, highlighting a potential importation since Australia stopped using the Sabin oral polio vaccine in 2005, while wild poliovirus remains endemic in some
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