Spatial distribution of leprosy in the Amazon region of Brazil.

To detect areas with increased case-detection rates, we used spatial scan statistics to identify 5 of 10 clusters of leprosy in the Amazon region of Brazil. Despite increasing economic development, population growth, and road infrastructure, leprosy is endemic to this region, which is a source of case exportation to other parts of Brazil.

Australia's notifiable diseases status, 2005: annual report of the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

In 2005, 60 diseases and conditions were nationally notifiable in Australia. States and territories reported a total of 125,461 cases of communicable diseases to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System: an increase of 10% on the number of notifications in 2004. In 2005, the most frequently notified diseases were sexually transmissible infections (51,557 notifications, 41% of total notifications), gastrointestinal diseases (29,422 notifications, 23%) and bloodborne diseases (19,278 notifications, 15%). There were 17,753 notifications of vaccine preventable diseases; 4,935 notifications of vectorborne diseases; 1,826 notification of other bacterial infections (legionellosis, leprosy, meningococcal infections and tuberculosis) and 687 notifications of zoonotic diseases.

Australia's notifiable diseases status, 2004, annual report of the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

In 2004, 60 diseases and conditions were nationally notifiable in Australia. States and Territories reported a total of 110,929 cases of communicable diseases to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS): an increase of 4 per cent on the number of notifications in 2003. In 2004, the most frequently notified diseases were sexually transmissible infections (46,762 cases; 42% of total notifications), gastrointestinal diseases (25,247 cases; 23% of total notifications) and bloodborne diseases (19,191 cases; 17% of total notifications). There were 13,206 notifications of vaccine preventable diseases, 6,000 notifications of vectorborne diseases, 1,799 notifications of other bacterial infections (includes, legionellosis, leprosy, meningococcal infections and tuberculosis) and 877 notifications of zoonotic diseases.

Australia's notifiable diseases status, 1999: annual report of the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

In 1999 there were 88,229 [corrected] notifications of communicable diseases in Australia reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). The number of notifications in 1999 was an increase of 3 per cent on notifications in 1998 (85,227) and the second largest reporting year since the NNDSS commenced in 1991. Notifications in 1999 consisted of 29,977 bloodborne infections (34% of total), 22,255 gastrointestinal infections (25%), 21,704 sexually transmitted infections (25%), 5,986 vector borne infections (7%),5,228 vaccine preventable infections (6%), 1,967 (2%) other bacterial infections (legionella, meningococcal, leprosy and tuberculosis), 1,012 zoonotic infections (1%) and 3 quarantinable infections (0.003%). Notifications of bloodborne viral diseases particularly hepatitis B and hepatitis C and some sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia continue to increase in Australia. Steep declines in vaccine preventable diseases such as Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps and rubella continued in 1999. This report also summarises data on communicable diseases from other surveillance systems including the Laboratory Virology and Serology Surveillance Scheme (LabVISE) and sentinel general practitioner schemes. In addition this report comments on other important developments in communicable disease control in Australia in 1999.

Imported leprosy in the United States, 1978 through 1988: an epidemic without secondary transmission.

OBJECTIVES: Leprosy remains a major health problem in many regions of the world. In the United States, although leprosy continues to be reported, approximately 90% of cases are imported (i.e., occur among immigrants and refugees). An increase in imported cases began in 1978. This study was conducted to analyze this trend and to characterize the contributing cases. METHODS: Centers for Disease Control leprosy surveillance data from 1971 through 1988 were analyzed. RESULTS: The number of imported cases reported annually was relatively constant from 1971 through 1977 (mean = 119 per year), increased to 307 in 1985, and then decreased to 102 in 1988. Of the 957 excess cases reported from 1978 through 1988, 73.4% were among persons from Southeast Asia, including 51.3% from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (Indochina). There was no coincident increase in indigenous cases of leprosy; the mean annual number of such cases was 17.7 (range = 10 to 29). Leprosy remains endemic in Texas, Hawaii, Louisiana, and possibly California. CONCLUSIONS: An epidemic of imported leprosy began in the United States in 1978, peaked in 1985, and ended by 1988. This increase was primarily due to cases among refugees from Indochina and was limited by a decrease in the influx of Indochinese refugees in the mid-1980s. There is no evidence that these cases resulted in transmission in the United States.