ABSTRACT
There were 176 culture-confirmed cases of melioidosis in north Queensland over the 10 years, 2000-2009. Most (nearly 80%) occurred in the first 4 months of the year. The overall case fatality was 21%, but was 14% in 2005-2009. Of the 173 adult cases, 45% were in Indigenous adults. Both diabetes and alcohol abuse were more prevalent among Indigenous adults with melioidosis than among non-Indigenous adults. The incidences in Indigenous adults were particularly high in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area, Cape York and Mornington Island, whereas for non-indigenous adults there appears to be a higher risk within Townsville city.
Subject(s)
Melioidosis/epidemiology , Alcoholism/complications , Alcoholism/epidemiology , Comorbidity , Diabetes Complications/epidemiology , Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology , Female , Geography , Humans , Male , Melioidosis/complications , Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander/statistics & numerical data , Queensland/epidemiology , Risk Factors , Seasons , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
A veterinarian became infected with Hendra virus (HeV) after managing a terminally ill horse and performing a limited autopsy with inadequate precautions. Although she was initially only mildly ill, serological tests suggested latent HeV infection. Nevertheless, she remains well 2 years after her initial illness. Recently emerged zoonotic viruses, such as HeV, necessitate appropriate working procedures and personal protective equipment in veterinary practice.
Subject(s)
Hendra Virus/classification , Henipavirus Infections/transmission , Horse Diseases/virology , Animals , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Female , Hendra Virus/immunology , Henipavirus Infections/veterinary , Horses , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Zoonoses/transmission , Zoonoses/virologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Japanese encephalitis (JE) emerged for the first time in the Torres Strait, north Australia, in 1995. The inactivated mouse-brain derived JE vaccine was offered to all residents of the outer Torres Strait Islands prior to the 1996 wet season. This study was undertaken to determine the appropriateness of the recommended three-year interval between booster doses of the vaccine. METHODS: JE neutralising antibody was measured in residents of Badu Island for whom 30-36 months had passed since either a previous booster or the completion of the primary immunisation series. RESULTS: Only 70 (32%) of 219 eligible individuals had protective antibodies; 50 (37%) of the adults were immune, compared with 20 (24%) of the children (odds ratio (OR) 1.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-3.74). CONCLUSIONS: This low level of immunity suggests that there is little in the way of natural boosting from either JE or other closely related viruses. Given the apparent low level of risk of exposure to the JE virus in the Torres Strait, and the logistical complexities involved in delivering the booster doses, the current recommendation of a three-year interval is not inappropriate. IMPLICATIONS: It would be advantageous to have a JE vaccine that is not only safer but also more immunogenic, so that it might be possible to further increase the booster dose interval.
Subject(s)
Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/immunology , Encephalitis, Japanese/prevention & control , Immunization Schedule , Immunization, Secondary/standards , Japanese Encephalitis Vaccines/administration & dosage , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/isolation & purification , Encephalitis, Japanese/immunology , Female , Health Care Surveys , Humans , Immunity/physiology , Immunization, Secondary/trends , Japanese Encephalitis Vaccines/immunology , Male , Middle Aged , Queensland/epidemiology , Risk Assessment , Rural Population , Sex Factors , Time Factors , Vaccination/standards , Vaccination/trendsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe an outbreak of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Far North Queensland in 2002. DESIGN: Epidemiological and entomological investigations; molecular analyses of the infecting parasites. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Case characteristics, adult and larval mosquito counts at the outbreak location, haplotyping of parasites in blood samples from different cases determined through sequencing of AMA1 and MSP1 genes. RESULTS: A man with imported P. vivax malaria stayed at a camping ground 95 km north of Cairns in late September 2002. This led to an outbreak of P. vivax malaria in 10 adults who stayed at the camping ground in October. Large numbers of Anopheles farauti sensu lato larvae were present in stagnant pools in a creek at the camping ground, and many adult mosquitoes were collected nearby. Not only had most of the infected patients been exposed to mosquitoes at night, they were also less likely than other campers to have used insect repellents appropriately (odds ratio, 0.01; P < 0.001). Two different haplotypes of P. vivax, only one of which was detected in the imported case, were involved in the outbreak. CONCLUSIONS: Although local transmission of malaria is rare in Far North Queensland, the risk is probably higher in the dry season (September to December). Campers need to be aware of the increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Sexual recombination of multiple gametocytes in mosquitoes infected by the imported case may have resulted in the two haplotypes of P. vivax involved in the outbreak.
