Australia’s notifiable disease status, 2016: Annual report of the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System

In 2016, a total of 67 diseases and conditions were nationally notifiable in Australia. The states and territories reported 330,387 notifications of communicable diseases to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. Notifications have remained stable between 2015 and 2016. In 2016, the most frequently notified diseases were vaccine preventable diseases (139,687 notifications, 42% of total notifications); sexually transmissible infections (112,714 notifications, 34% of total notifications); and gastrointestinal diseases (49,885 notifications, 15% of total notifications). Additionally, there were 18,595 notifications of bloodborne diseases; 6,760 notifications of vectorborne diseases; 2,020 notifications of other bacterial infections; 725 notifications of zoonoses and one notification of a quarantinable disease.

Notifiable diseases after implementation of COVID-19 public health prevention measures in Central Queensland, Australia

The implementation of public health measures to control the current COVID-19 pandemic (such as wider lockdowns, overseas travel restrictions and physical distancing) is likely to have affected the spread of other notifiable diseases. This is a descriptive report of communicable disease surveillance in Central Queensland (CQ) for six months (1 April to 30 September 2020) after the introduction of physical distancing and wider lockdown measures in Queensland. The counts of notifiable communicable diseases in CQ in the six months were observed and compared with the average for the same months during the years 2015 to 2019. During the study’s six months, there were notable decreases in notifications of most vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza, pertussis and rotavirus. Conversely, notifications increased for disease groups such as blood-borne viruses, sexually transmitted infections and vector-borne diseases. There were no reported notifications for dengue fever and malaria which are mostly overseas acquired. The notifications of some communicable diseases in CQ were variably affected and the changes correlated with the implementation of the COVID-19 public health measures.

Predicting the detection of leprosy in a hyperendemic area of Brazil: Using time series analysis

Background: Brazil has the second highest prevalence of leprosy worldwide. Autoregressive integrated moving average models are useful tools in surveillance systems because they provide reliable forecasts from epidemiological time series. Aim: To evaluate the temporal patterns of leprosy detection from 2001 to 2015 and forecast for 2020 in a hyperendemic area in northeastern Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using monthly leprosy detection from the Brazil information system for notifiable diseases. The Box–Jenkins method was applied to fit a seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average model. Forecasting models (95% prediction interval) were developed to predict leprosy detection for 2020. Results: A total of 44,578 cases were registered with a mean of 247.7 cases per month. The best-fitted model to make forecasts was the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average ((1,1,1); (1,1,1)). It was predicted 0.32 cases/100,000 inhabitants to January of 2016 and 0.38 cases/100,000 inhabitants to December of 2020. Limitations: This study used secondary data from Brazil information system for notifiable diseases; hence, leprosy data may be underreported. Conclusion: The forecast for leprosy detection rate for December 2020 was < 1 case/100,000 inhabitants. Seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average model has been shown to be appropriate and could be used to forecast leprosy detection rates. Thus, this strategy can be used to facilitate prevention and elimination programmes.

Epidemiological Profile of Meningitis Cases in the Southeast Region in Brazil

This project has as an objective the analysis of the epidemiological profile of the cases of meningitis in the southeastern of Brazil, comparingetiologies, age group and evolution. The study has an epidemiological profile where confirmed cases were selected between 2010-2019. The approach was quantitative through research on the DATASUS platform, in the field of Diseases and Notifiable Diseases - SINAN. There’s a predominance of deaths due to Other Bacteria, the same being predominant in the age group of 40-59 and less in 80 year olds or more. In addition, it’s noticed less occurrence of Haemophilus Meningitis with a predilection for infants. In Espirito Santo, there’s a higher incidence of deaths from, mainly affecting the age group of 20-39 year olds, which accounts for 20% of the cases. In Rio de Janeiro, there’s a predominance of Other Bacterias, which corresponds to 20.7% of the total cases, in those aged 20-39 years. In São Paulo, there’s a supremacy of Viral with 59% of total cases, affecting mainly children, with emphasis on 1-4 year olds, having a good clinical evolution, however, corresponds to 7% of the total deaths. If untreated, the morbimortality is profound, it’s important to recognize the epidemiological profile of the pathology so that the approach to patients who present it, is the most targeted and effective as possible. Data analysis showed that Other Bacterias Meningitis is the main cause of death, therefore, epidemiology is associated with severity and lethality.

VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: NOTIFICATION AND ALERT IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT Objective: Social isolation is currently identified as the best way to prevent the infection by the new coronavirus. However, for some social groups, such as children and adolescents, this measure carries a contradiction: the home, which should be the safest place for them, is also a frequent environment of a sad aggravation: domestic violence. This study aims to evaluate the notifications of interpersonal/self-inflicted violence available in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases in the State of Santa Catarina (southern Brazil), for the juvenile age group, before and during the new coronavirus pandemics. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study of violence against children and adolescents (from 0 to 19 years) notified by health professionals by completing and entering the occurrence in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases of the State of Santa Catarina in 11 weeks in which the social isolation measure was instituted as mandatory, comparing with the same period before this measure. Results: During the study period, 136 municipalities in Santa Catarina made 1,851 notifications. There was a decrease of 55.3% of them in the isolation period, and the difficulties encountered in seeking protection and assistance institutions were listed. Conclusions: The society needs to be aware of possible cases of violence in the children and adolescent population. It is important to provide accessible, effective, and safe ways for complaints and notifications, as well as a quick response to the cases, aiming at protecting victims and minimizing damages to prevent the perpetuation of the violence.

Physical distancing and non-respiratory notifiable diseases in the Northern Territory, March-May 2020

Strict physical distancing measures and border controls have been introduced in the Northern Territory (NT), and across Australia, to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These measures have been associated with reduced incidence of other respiratory illnesses such as influenza. It is currently unclear what effect these measures have on non-respiratory communicable diseases. The incidence of notifiable non-respiratory communicable diseases within the NT, from 15 March to 15 May 2020, the period of most restrictive physical distancing, was monitored and is here compared with two control periods: (i) the 4 months immediately prior and (ii) the same two-month period from the preceding 5 years. During the study period, there was a decline in incidence of communicable enteric illnesses, particularly in shigellosis and rotavirus where person-to-person spread is the main transmission route. There was an increase in chlamydial conjunctivitis in areas with endemic trachoma, which is under further investigation. There was no observed increase in conditions associated with crowding, such as those related to group A streptococcal infection.

The effect of COVID-19 public health measures on nationally notifiable diseases in Australia: preliminary analysis

Since the introduction of COVID-19-related public health measures, notifications for most nationally notifiable diseases have declined when compared to previous years. Physical distancing, travel restrictions, and emphasis on hygiene are likely to have affected the number of expected notifications, with the greatest reductions observed among disease spread via person-to-person contact such as influenza, and among overseas-acquired infections such as dengue virus and measles. However, quantifying the magnitude of the effect of COVID-19 public health measures on communicable diseases in Australia will be difficult, due to confounding factors such as: changes in testing priorities in laboratories; diversion of resources to the COVID-19 response; changes in health-seeking behaviours; greater utilisation of telehealth practices; and financial impacts such as income loss and ability to afford healthcare. It is considered likely that these other factors will have also impacted notification numbers.