Laboratories must notify health departments of cases of hepatitis C in Queensland, the Northern Territory (NT) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Our objectives were to estimate the minimum proportion of notified cases of hepatitis C that were recent infections and to determine the risk factors for infection of the notified cases. We conducted a retrospective investigation of all eligible notifications received at the health departments in Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. Of the 963 notifications about which information was received, 16 per cent were repeat notifications. These were excluded from further analysis. In Queensland, 7 per cent, and in both NT and ACT, 3 per cent of the notifications were considered to be recent infections. The most common risk factor reported for both recent and all other hepatitis C cases was a history of injecting drug use, although the proportion of cases with that history was different in NT from ACT and Queensland. Cases were tested because of screening programs: for drugs and alcohol, in sexually transmitted diseases clinics and prison; and because of clinical indications such as a risk factor, symptoms, or results of liver function tests. Another common reason for testing was a request from a patient. A significant proportion of recorded notifications was repeat notifications. Most notifications were of patients who had become infected more than 12 months ago and the most common risk factor was injecting drug use. There was not a high proportion of cases with unknown risk factors. (Aust N
An outbreak of measles which occurred in Canberra between October and December, 1991, was investigated to estimate the public health utility of the vaccine. The measles vaccine efficacy was determined for the 13–15 year old children in a selected high school. During the outbreak, at least 82 Canberra children contracted measles. Teenage males accounted for 56% of total cases, and 22% of cases were confirmed by serology. The vaccine coverage in the high school studied decreased with increasing school years, varying from 85.8% in Grade 8 to 79.2% in Grade 10. The highest attack rate occurred in Grade 10 (66/1000). The vaccine efficacy for age 13–15 was estimated to be 72% (95% CI, 45–86%) but varied from 67 to 73%. Measles remains a serious disease of childhood in Australia. The elimination of measles is only partly dependent on the vaccine coverage of children. Issues relating to the effectiveness of vaccine are also important. A two dose vaccine strategy with the second dose of measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (MMR), given preferably in the last year of primary school or the first year of high school, is supported by the findings of this study.
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