Infectious diseases

The more we learn about infections, the greater our respect for them grows

Tania Janusic

Crisis provides urgency and focus for coordinated action to improve regional health and development

Suman S Majumdar MPH · Ben J Marais MD, PhD · Justin T Denholm MPH · Warwick J Britton PhD, FRACP, FRCPA,

However rates of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia are reported, the aim should be to reduce them

Diane E Watson

However rates of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia are reported, the aim should be to reduce them

Allen C Cheng · Leon J Worth

Vitamin D may well play a role, but the focus should be awareness of likely exposure to active TB

Anastasios Konstantinos

Bringing the guidelines in line with new developments

Daniel P O’Brien MB BS, FRACP · Grant Jenkin MB BS, PhD, FRACP · John Buntine MB BS, FRACS · Christina M Steffen BA, MB BS, FRACS · Anthony McDonald MB BS, FRACS · Simon Horne MB BS, FRACGP · N Deborah Friedman MB BS, FRACP, MD · Eugene Athan MB BS, FRACP, MPH · Andrew Hughes MB BS, FRACP · Peter P Callan MB BS, FRACS, MBA · Paul D R Johnson MB BS, PhD, FRACP

A 2-year national survey confirms a significant rise in rates and finds a quarter of cases were community-acquired

Claudia Slimings BSc, PGDipHlthSci, PhD · Paul Armstrong BE(Min), MB BS, MApplEpi · Wendy D Beckingham BHSc(Nurs), GradCertInfectControl, MClinNurs · Ann L Bull BSc(Hons), MAppEpid, PhD · Lisa Hall BTech(Hons), PhD · Karina J Kennedy MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA · John Marquess BSc, MPH · Rebecca McCann RN, BSc(Nurs) · Andrea Menzies RN, BNursSci, GradCertInfectControlNurs · Brett G Mitchell PhD, MAdvPrac, BN · Michael J Richards MB BS, FRACP · Paul C Smollen MN, MPH, ICC · Lauren Tracey BHlthSc, MPH · Irene J Wilkinson BSc(Hons), MPH · Fiona L Wilson DipAppSci(Nurs), GradDipAdvNsg(ID), SICC · Leon J Worth MB BS, FRACP, PhD · Thomas V Riley PhD, FRCPath, FSc(RCPA)

Continuous surveillance showed a significant reduction in rates during the first 3 years

Leon J Worth MB BS, FRACP, PhD · Tim Spelman MB BS, BSc, GradCert(Stats) · Ann L Bull PhD · Michael J Richards MB BS, FRACP, MD

There are signs that the prevalence of whipworm infection in the NT is declining but more can be done

Amy L Crowe MB BS · Pam Smith · Linda Ward BAppSci, MMedSci · Bart J Currie FRACP, FAFPHM, DTM+H · Rob Baird MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA

Out of over half a million arrivals at Sydney Airport, only three were confirmed to have influenza A

Praveena J Gunaratnam BA, MPH · Sean Tobin BM BS, MPH, FAFPHM · Holly Seale BSc, MPH, PhD · Andrew Marich MB BS, MPH, DCH · Jeremy McAnulty MB BS, MPH, FAFPHM

PANDEMICS, by Nobel Laureate Professor Peter Doherty, is based on the premise of equipping the public to be alert, not alarmed.The book, using a question-and-answer format, begins by giving the reader a crash course in the immune system and how the human body responds to invaders. It then provides a historical overview of pandemics and how respiratory infections, like influenza, are the greatest pandemic threat. ...

Merryn C McKinnon

Study highlights a need to examine BCG vaccination program delivery across Australia

Frank H Beard · Kristine K Macartney

Study highlights a need to examine BCG vaccination program delivery across Australia

Amanda Gwee · Ranmali Rodrigo · Dan Casalaz · Nicole Ritz · Nigel Curtis

Bisphosphonates aren’t known to cause myocardial injury, but zoledronic acid may be an exception

Monique R Watts · Andris H Ellims · David S Eccleston

If GPs offered chlamydia testing to all young adults, rates of diagnosis and treatment would be much higher

Anna H Yeung BSc(Hons), MPH · Meredith Temple-Smith BSc, MPH, DHSc · Christopher K Fairley MB BS, PhD · Alaina M Vaisey BSc, MPH · Rebecca Guy PhD · Matthew G Law MA, MSc, PhD · Nicola Low MD, FFPH, MSc · Amie L Bingham BA(Hons), BSc, MPH · Jane Gunn MB BS, PhD · John Kaldor PhD · Basil Donovan MD, FAFPHM, FAChSHM · Jane S Hocking MPH, MHSc(PHP), PhD

Delay in diagnosing an active case of TB led to a cluster of cases in an open-plan commercial office in Victoria

Mohammad Bagherirad MD · Peter Trevan BAppSci, AdvNurs · Maria Globan PhD · Elaine Tay MB BS · Nicola Stephens PhD · Eugene Athan MB BS, FRACP, MPH

How well are our new year's resolutions holding up under the negative influence of returning to work?

Astika Kappagoda

Enforcing vaccination or mask-wearing leads to increased vaccination rates among heath care workers

Rhonda L Stuart · Elizabeth E Gillespie · Peter G Kerr

To the Editor: O’Brien and colleagues report high rates of recurrence of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease after surgery without adjuvant antibiotics.1 In the other major Australian endemic focus for M. ulcerans, the Daintree region of far north Queensland (where it is known as Daintree ulcer), nearly all of 92 confirmed cases between 1964 and 2008 were treated with surgery alone, with 10 recurrences.2 In 2011, there was an outbreak of 65 confirmed cases. ...

Christina M Steffen

In reply: We thank Steffen for reporting her and her colleagues’ experience with surgical management of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease in the Daintree region of far north Queensland. We note she reports lower recurrence rates after surgical treatment alone than in our study from Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula (8%–11% v 32%).1,2 As older age may increase recurrence risk, this difference in rates may be influenced by the higher ...

Daniel P O’Brien · Anthony McDonald · Peter Callan

A 35% drop in invasive pneumococcal disease has been found in older people after 6-7 years of vaccine use

Robert I Menzies BAppSc, MPH, PhD · Sanjay H Jayasinghe MB BS, MSc · Vicki L Krause MD, DTM · Clayton K Chiu MB BS, MPH · Peter B McIntyre MB BS, PhD, FRACP

Repatriated patients from high-risk countries may place a significant burden on Australian hospitals

Kyra Y L Chua FRACP · M Lindsay Grayson FRACP, MD · Adele N Burgess FRACS · Jean Y H Lee MB BS · Benjamin P Howden FRACP, FRCPA

Even in settings with well developed infrastructure, few potentially eligible prisoners get hepatitis C treatment

Michael M Mina MB ChB(Hons), MRCP, MIPH(Hons) · Paul J Clark MB BS(Hons), PhD, FRACP · Holly M Beasley BSc, PostGradDip (IntHealth) · Lilie Herawati MD, MPH · Tony G Butler MSc, PhD · Andrew R Lloyd MB BS, MD, FRACP

A screening checklist has proved successful in Queensland

Jennifer K Broom · Mark D Kelly · Alex F Broom