Adherence to anti-vectorial prevention measures among travellers with chikungunya and malaria returning to Australia: comparative epidemiology.

Objective: Compare the adoption and adherence to health protection behaviours prior to and during travel among international Australian travellers who return to Australia with notified chikungunya or malaria infection. This information could inform targeted health promotion and intervention strategies to limit the establishment of these diseases within Australia.

Results: Seeking travel advice prior to departure was moderate (46%, N = 21/46) yet compliance with a range of recommended anti-vectorial prevention measures was low among both chikungunya and malaria infected groups (16%, N = 7/45).

Completeness of a Maternal and Perinatal Mortality Enhanced Surveillance System in Pakistan: Evidence from Capture-Recapture Methods.

Objectives An enhanced surveillance system that integrated health information systems and extended surveillance to previously uncovered areas to capture all births, perinatal and maternal deaths in a rural district of Pakistan was established in 2015, and this study uses capture-recapture methodology to assess completeness. Methods Births and deaths collected by the survey were matched with the data captured by the enhanced surveillance system. Capture-recapture methodology was used to estimate the total number of births and deaths, measure the degree of underestimation, and adjust mortality rates.

Under-estimation of maternal and perinatal mortality revealed by an enhanced surveillance system: enumerating all births and deaths in Pakistan.

Background: Reliable and timely data on maternal and neonatal mortality is required to implement health interventions, monitor progress, and evaluate health programs at national and sub-national levels. In most South Asian countries, including Pakistan, vital civil registration and health information systems are inadequate. The aim of this study is to determine accurate maternal and perinatal mortality through enhanced surveillance of births and deaths, compared with prior routinely collected data.

Risk activities and pre-travel health seeking practices of notified cases of imported infectious diseases in Australia.

Background: Travellers are at risk of acquiring infectious diseases during travel, with risks differing by destination, travel and traveller characteristics. A pre-travel health consultation may minimize this risk. However, uptake of pre-travel health advice remains low.

Does Zika Virus Cause Microcephaly - Applying the Bradford Hill Viewpoints.

Introduction: Zika virus has been documented since 1952, but been associated with mild, self-limiting disease. Zika virus is classified as an arbovirus from a family of Flaviviridae and primarily spread by Aedes Aegypti mosquitos. However, in a large outbreak in Brazil in 2015, Zika virus has been associated with microcephaly.

Passive immunization for influenza through antibody therapies, a review of the pipeline, challenges and potential applications.

The Global Action Plan for influenza vaccines (GAP) aims to increase the production capacity of vaccines so that in the event of a pandemic there is an adequate supply to meet global needs. However, it has been estimated that even in the best case scenario there would be a considerable delay of at least five to six months for the first supplies of vaccine to become available after the isolation of the strain and availability of the candidate vaccine virus to vaccine manufacturers. By this time, the virus is likely to have already infected millions of people worldwide, causing significant mortality, morbidity and economic loss.

Australian Hajj pilgrims' infection control beliefs and practices: Insight with implications for public health approaches.

Background: Hajj is one of the largest annual mass gatherings around the world. Although the Saudi Arabian health authority recommends vaccination and other infection control measures, studies identified variable uptake of these measures among pilgrims, and the reasons behind this variability remain unclear. This qualitative study aimed to addresses this knowledge gap.

Equity and access: understanding emergency health service use by newly arrived refugees.

Objectives: To determine issues that affect newly resettled refugees in accessing an emergency department (ED).

Design, Setting And Participants: We conducted a descriptive community survey using a semistructured questionnaire. Newly resettled refugees from the Middle East and Africa were interviewed, statistical analysis was performed, and standard content analysis methods were applied to free-text responses.

Vitamin D deficiency in refugee children from conflict zones.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in newly resettled refugee children and is associated with significant morbidity including rickets. To determine risk factors and burden of vitamin D deficiency in newly resettled refugee children in Australia. A descriptive epidemiological study and survey on refugee children attending an outpatient general health clinic at the Children's Hospital Westmead, Sydney.

Management of old world cutaneous leishmaniasis in refugee children.

The optimal treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis is controversial. We report our experience managing Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis in a pediatric refugee clinic. Conventional amphotericin B therapy caused reversible renal failure in 2 of 3 children treated.

The epidemiology of health conditions of newly arrived refugee children: a review of patients attending a specialist health clinic in Sydney.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of common diseases in newly arrived refugee children, resettled in Sydney, by region of birth. To identify health needs of refugee children in Australia.

Methods: We prospectively screened for common diseases in refugee children attending a specialist paediatric refugee clinic, the Children's Hospital, Westmead, between May 2005 and December 2006.

The impact of intensive health promotion to a targeted refugee population on utilisation of a new refugee paediatric clinic at the children's hospital at Westmead.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of intensive promotion of a new health service to a targeted refugee population, recently resettled in Sydney, and the role of early social connection and membership of social group in promoting health service utilisation of refugees.

Design: Descriptive epidemiological study and survey.

Settings: A paediatric refugee clinic at a children's hospital in Sydney.