Publications by authors named "Toni Cains"
In April 2021, the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) was notified of 3 patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections secondary to skin piercings performed at the same salon. Active case finding through laboratories, clinician alerts, and monitoring hospital visits for piercing-related infections identified additional cases across New South Wales, and consumers were alerted. We identified 13 confirmed and 40 probable case-patients and linked clinical isolates by genomic sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvestigation of a legionellosis outbreak in Sydney CBD - a brief report.
Aust N Z J Public Health
April 2023
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to identify and control a Legionella outbreak in Sydney CBD, utilizing multiple techniques for accurate detection.
- - Eleven cases of legionellosis were linked to the outbreak, primarily affecting older males, with genomic analysis pinpointing a contaminated cooling water source.
- - The findings emphasize the need for prompt public health responses to such outbreaks and highlight the importance of collaboration between various health professionals for effective source identification.
Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 infection associated with the use of an apartment building spa pool.
Commun Dis Intell (2018)
December 2022
Article Synopsis
- Legionnaires' disease is required to be reported in New South Wales, Australia, and a case linked to a communal spa pool in an apartment complex was investigated using whole genome sequencing.
- In February 2018, a man in his 60s was hospitalized with pneumonia due to Lp1 infection after using the communal spa pool, which was found to have low chlorine levels.
- Analysis showed a strong genetic connection between Lp1 found in the patient's sputum and the spa water, indicating that the pool was likely the source of infection and highlighting the need for regulation of such facilities.
The incident command system (ICS) provides a common structure to control and coordinate an emergency response, regardless of scale or predicted impact. The lessons learned from the application of an ICS for large infectious disease outbreaks are documented. However, there is scant evidence on the application of an ICS to manage a local multiagency response to a disease cluster with environmental health risks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCompliance with sharps waste standards by a sample of Sydney acupuncture premises.
N S W Public Health Bull
September 2011
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%).