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. Methods: For each notification in a south-eastern Sydney resident with a 2013 specimen date, we sent a letter and questionnaire to the requesting doctor seeking additional demographic and risk factor information. Results: Of 1,341 questionnaires sent, 1,073 (79.5%) were returned, and men comprised 947 (88.3%). Indigenous status was provided for 1,009 (94.1%) cases, with seven (0.7%) identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Most men (83%) but a minority of women (19%) had same sex partners (p<0.001). Whilst 70% of men reported acquisition from a casual partner, only 46% of women thought they had acquired infection from a casual partner. Conclusions: The high response rate and completeness of indigenous status were strong features of this enhanced surveillance pilot which also provided valuable information on sexual preference and other risk factors for infection. However, gathering of this information was very labour intensive for both clinical and public health staff.

Rotavirus vaccination one year on...

The rotavirus vaccine was incorporated into the Australian National Immunisation Program from 1 July 2007. To measure early impact of the vaccine on rotavirus disease and the burden of gastroenteritis in young children, we examined 2 surveillance data sources, rotavirus isolates from selected New South Wales laboratories, and New South Wales Emergency Department (ED) visits assigned a gastroenteritis-related diagnosis. Between 2001 and 2008, weekly time series were prepared for 2 age groups representing children young enough to have been offered vaccination prior to the 2008 seasonal epidemic (< 15 months) and older children (15 months to 5 years). In 2008, the seasonal increase in laboratory confirmed rotavirus infection and gastroenteritis related ED visits declined substantially in both age groups compared with earlier years. These data provide preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccination program in New South Wales. Immunising the most susceptible population group, infants, against rotavirus may limit wider circulation of the virus in older children.