Identifying the emerging threats for which we must be vigilant
In 1922, infectious diseases accounted for 15% of all deaths in Australia, but this rate declined dramatically to 1% by 2007 due to a combination of antibiotics, vaccination and public health measures. Yet infectious diseases continue to feature prominently in Australia. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has just released its biennial publication on the health of the nation, Australia’s health 2010 — a statistical and informed commentary that examines a variety of health issues dominating the national landscape.1 Here, I summarise the report’s chapter on infectious diseases to paint a picture of where we are today and the challenges we may well face in our future.
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- 1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s health 2010. Chapter 4.10 Infectious diseases. Australia’s health series no. 12. Canberra: AIHW, 2010: 202-219. (AIHW Cat. No. AUS 122.)
- 2. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Australian immunisation handbook. 9th ed. Canberra: Australian Government, 2008.
- 3. Butler JRG, Korda RJ, Watson KJR, Watson DAR. The impact of chronic hepatitis B in Australia: projecting mortality, morbidity and economic impact. Canberra: Australian Centre for Economic Research on Health, 2009. http://www.acerh.edu.au/publications/ACERH_RR7.pdf (accessed Jul 2010).
- 4. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Third national hepatitis C strategy 2010–2013. Canberra: DoHA, 2010. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-national-strategies-2010-hcv/$File/hcv.pdf (accessed Jul 2010).
- 5. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. National hepatitis B strategy 2010–2013. Canberra: DoHA, 2010. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-national-strategies-2010-hepb/$File/hepb.pdf (accessed Jul 2010).
- 6. Riley TV, Thean S, Hool G, Golledge CL. First Australian isolation of epidemic Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 027. Med J Aust 2009; 190: 706-708. <MJA full text>
- 7. Victorian Government Department of Health. Identification of a hypervirulent strain of Clostridium difficile. Hospital circular 15/2010. 26 May 2010. http://www.health.vic.gov.au/hospitalcirculars/circ10/circ1510.htm (accessed Aug 2010).
- 8. Kennedy KJ, Collignon PJ. Colonisation with Escherichia coli resistant to critically important antibiotics: a high risk for international travellers. Presented at: Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases; 2009 25–28 March; Hunter Valley, Australia.
- 9. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s health 2010. Chapter 5.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Australia’s health series no. 12. Canberra: AIHW, 2010: 229-245. (AIHW Cat. No. AUS 122.)
I wrote the infectious diseases chapter in Australia’s health 2010 on which this article is based. This work was done purely on a voluntary basis.