Australia’s notifiable disease status, 2012: Annual report of the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System: Part 2

The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System monitors the incidence of an agreed list of communicable diseases in Australia. This report analyses notifications during 2012.

Page last updated: 31 May 2015

Results - part 1

There were 243,872 notifications received by NNDSS in 2012.

Table 3: Notifications to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, Australia, 2012, by disease category rank order
Disease Category Number %
Sexually transmissible infections
99,250 40.7
Vaccine preventable diseases
85,810 35.2
Gastrointestinal diseases
31,155 12.8
Bloodborne diseases
16,846 6.9
Vectorborne diseases
8,305 3.4
Other bacterial diseases
1,924 0.8
Zoonoses
578 0.2
Quarantinable diseases
5 <0.1
Total
243,872 100.0

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In 2012, the most frequently notified diseases were sexually transmissible infections (99,250 notifications, 40.7% of total notifications), vaccine preventable diseases (85,810 notifications, 35.2% of total notifications), and gastrointestinal diseases (31,155 notifications, 12.8% of total notifications) (Table 3).

There was an overall increase of 2% in notifications nationally compared with the total number of notifications in 2011 (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Trends in notifications received by the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, Australia, 1991 to 2012

Chart: text description follows

Text version of Figure 2 (TXT 1 KB)

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Notifications and notification rates per 100,000 for each disease notified to each state and territory in 2012, are shown in Table 4 and Table 5, respectively. Notifications and rates per 100,000 for the period 2007 to 2012 are shown in Table 6.

Table 4: Notifications of nationally notifiable communicable diseases, Australia, 2012, by state or territory
Disease State or territory Aust.
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas. Vic. WA
* Newly acquired hepatitis and syphilis includes cases where the infection was determined to be acquired within 24 months prior to diagnosis. Queensland reports hepatitis C newly acquired under hepatitis C unspecified.

† Unspecified hepatitis and syphilis includes cases where the duration of infection could not be determined or is greater than 24 months.

‡ In Queensland, includes newly acquired hepatitis C cases.

§ Infection with Shiga toxin/verotoxin producing Escherichia coli.

|| Includes identified from cervical, rectal, urine, urethral, throat and eye samples, except for South Australia, which reports only cervical, urine and urethral specimens; the Northern Territory and Western Australia exclude ocular infections.

¶ The national case definitions for chlamydial, gonococcal and syphilis diagnoses, include infections that may be acquired through a non-sexual mode (especially in children – e.g. perinatal infections, epidemic gonococcal conjunctivitis).

** Does not include congenital syphilis.

†† Data for all states and territories are reported by diagnosis date, except Queensland which is reported by notification receive date.

‡‡ In the Australian Capital Territory, Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection and Kunjin virus infection are combined under Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection.

§§ Only invasive meningococcal disease is nationally notifiable. However the Australian Capital Territory also reports conjunctival cases.

NEC Not elsewhere classified.

NN Not notifiable.
Bloodborne diseases
Hepatitis (NEC)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hepatitis B (newly acquired)*
2 29 5 55 16 10 52 24 193
Hepatitis B (unspecified)
104 2,298 200 808 383 62 1,855 799 6,509
Hepatitis C (newly acquired)*
15 47 0 NN 77 23 179 125 466
Hepatitis C (unspecified)†,‡
132 3,243 195 2,376 394 242 2,055 1,011 9,648
Hepatitis D
0 5 0 6 8 0 9 2 30
Gastrointestinal diseases
Botulism
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Campylobacteriosis
477 NN 175 4,182 2,161 882 5,870 1,906 15,653
Cryptosporidiosis
19 687 234 1,371 162 42 460 168 3,143
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
0 10 0 4 0 1 5 0 20
Hepatitis A
1 42 3 34 7 2 62 14 165
Hepatitis E
1 10 0 6 0 0 17 1 35
Listeriosis
0 39 0 5 4 3 34 8 93
Salmonellosis
241 2,951 407 2,825 845 280 2,547 1,169 11,265
Shigellosis
6 124 107 82 48 7 120 53 547
STEC,VTEC§
5 13 2 27 45 7 11 1 111
Typhoid fever
1 43 4 15 3 1 38 18 123
Quarantinable diseases
Cholera
0 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 5
Highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Plague
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rabies
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Smallpox
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Viral haemorrhagic fever
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Yellow fever
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sexually transmissible infections
Chlamydial infection||,¶
1,283 21,293 2,532 18,849 4,848 1,787 20,312 11,803 82,707
Donovanosis
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Gonococcal infection
92 4,129 1,536 2,700 499 35 2,543 2,115 13,649
Syphilis – congenital
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Syphilis – all¶,**,††
28 793 81 639 131 24 980 217 2,893
Syphilis < 2 years duration¶,††
15 510 14 383 52 14 474 77 1,539
Syphilis > 2 years or unknown duration†,¶,††
13 283 67 256 79 10 506 140 1,354
Vaccine preventable diseases
Diphtheria
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Haemophilus influenzae type b
0 2 0 5 2 1 4 1 15
Influenza (laboratory confirmed)
666 7,998 435 16,853 6,288 1,093 5,990 5,240 44,563
Measles
0 170 2 4 6 0 11 6 199
Mumps
6 105 0 32 7 1 30 19 200
Pertussis
429 5,828 298 7,536 904 1,276 4,423 3,375 24,069
Pneumococcal disease (invasive)
27 579 72 348 131 45 385 235 1,822
Poliomyelitis
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Rubella
1 10 0 9 2 1 11 2 36
Rubella – congenital
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
Tetanus
0 1 0 2 1 0 2 1 7
Varicella zoster (chickenpox)
9 NN 149 238 476 27 732 333 1,964
Varicella zoster (shingles)
51 NN 183 72 1,761 263 1,111 1,040 4,481
Varicella zoster (unspecified)
121 NN 4 4,414 92 84 2,633 1,105 8,453
Vectorborne diseases
Arbovirus infection (NEC)
0 0 0 8 1 0 0 0 9
Barmah Forest virus infection
2 348 87 982 48 0 40 215 1,722
Dengue virus infection
22 288 68 243 51 8 332 528 1,540
Japanese encephalitis virus infection
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Kunjin virus infection‡‡
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Malaria
11 71 17 100 8 7 84 50 348
Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Ross River virus infection
11 603 227 1,947 219 18 282 1,376 4,683
Zoonoses
Anthrax
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Australia bat lyssavirus
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Brucellosis
0 5 0 22 1 0 0 1 29
Leptospirosis
0 22 1 75 2 0 13 3 116
Lyssavirus (NEC)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ornithosis
0 18 0 1 1 0 47 8 75
Q fever
0 122 4 192 11 0 22 7 358
Tularaemia
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other bacterial diseases
Legionellosis
2 102 3 70 39 12 69 85 382
Leprosy
0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4
Meningococcal infection§§
1 66 4 63 29 7 35 18 223
Tuberculosis
18 467 28 176 82 6 366 172 1,315
Total
3,784 52,564 7,064 67,328 19,795 6,257 53,775 33,255 243,872

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Table 5: Notification rates for nationally notifiable communicable diseases, Australia, 2012, by state or territory
Disease State or territory Aust.
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas. Vic. WA
* Newly acquired hepatitis and syphilis includes cases where the infection was determined to be acquired within 24 months prior to diagnosis. Queensland reports hepatitis C newly acquired under hepatitis C unspecified.

† Unspecified hepatitis and syphilis includes cases where the duration of infection could not be determined or is greater than 24 months.

‡ In Queensland, includes newly acquired hepatitis C cases.

§ Infection with Shiga toxin/verotoxin producing Escherichia coli.

|| Includes Chlamydia trachomatis identified from cervical, rectal, urine, urethral, throat and eye samples, except for South Australia, which reports only cervical, urine and urethral specimens; the Northern Territory and Western Australia exclude ocular infections.

¶ The national case definitions for chlamydial, gonococcal and syphilis diagnoses, include infections that may be acquired through a non-sexual mode (especially in children – e.g. perinatal infections, epidemic gonococcal conjunctivitis).

** Does not include congenital syphilis.

†† Data for all states and territories are reported by diagnosis date, except Queensland which is reported by notification receive date.

‡‡ In the Australian Capital Territory, Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection and Kunjin virus infection are combined under Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection.

§§ Only invasive meningococcal disease is nationally notifiable. However the Australian Capital Territory also reports conjunctival cases.

NEC Not elsewhere classified.

NN Not notifiable.
Bloodborne diseases
Hepatitis (NEC)
Hepatitis B (newly acquired)*
0.5 0.4 2.1 1.2 1.0 2.0 0.9 1.0 0.8
Hepatitis B (unspecified)
27.7 31.5 85.0 17.7 23.1 12.1 33.0 32.8 28.7
Hepatitis C (newly acquired)*
4.0 0.6 NN 4.6 4.5 3.2 5.1 2.6
Hepatitis C (unspecified)†,‡
35.2 44.4 82.9 52.0 23.8 47.2 36.5 41.6 42.5
Hepatitis D
0.1 0.1 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.1
Gastrointestinal diseases
Botulism
Campylobacteriosis
127.2 NN 74.4 91.6 130.5 172.2 104.3 78.3 101.6
Cryptosporidiosis
5.1 9.4 99.5 30.0 9.8 8.2 8.2 6.9 13.8
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1
Hepatitis A
0.3 0.6 1.3 0.7 0.4 0.4 1.1 0.6 0.7
Hepatitis E
0.3 0.1 0.1 0.3 <0.1 0.2
Listeriosis
0.5 0.1 0.2 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.4
Salmonellosis
64.3 40.4 173.1 61.9 51.0 54.7 45.2 48.1 49.6
Shigellosis
1.6 1.7 45.5 1.8 2.9 1.4 2.1 2.2 2.4
STEC,VTEC§
1.3 0.2 0.9 0.6 2.7 1.4 0.2 <0.1 0.5
Typhoid
0.3 0.6 1.7 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.7 0.7 0.5
Quarantinable diseases
Cholera
<0.1 <0.1 0.1 <0.1
Highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans
Plague
Rabies
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Smallpox
Viral haemorrhagic fever
Yellow fever
Sexually transmissible infections
Chlamydial infection||,¶
342.2 291.6 1,076.6 412.9 292.7 348.8 360.8 485.2 364.2
Donovanosis
<0.1 <0.1
Gonococcal infection
24.5 56.6 653.1 59.1 30.1 6.8 45.2 86.9 60.1
Syphilis – congenital
Syphilis – all¶,**,††
7.5 10.9 34.4 14.0 7.9 4.7 17.4 8.9 12.7
Syphilis < 2 years duration¶,††
4.0 7.0 6.0 8.4 3.1 2.7 8.4 3.2 6.8
Syphilis > 2 years or unspecified duration†,¶,††
3.5 3.9 28.5 5.6 4.8 2.0 9.0 5.8 6.0
Vaccine preventable diseases
Diphtheria
Haemophilus influenzae type b
<0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 <0.1 0.1
Influenza (laboratory confirmed)
177.6 109.5 185.0 369.1 379.6 213.3 106.4 215.4 196.2
Measles
2.3 0.9 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.9
Mumps
1.6 1.4 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.5 0.8 0.9
Pertussis
114.4 79.8 126.7 165.1 54.6 249.1 78.6 138.7 106.0
Pneumococcal disease (invasive)
7.2 7.9 30.6 7.6 7.9 8.8 6.8 9.7 8.0
Poliomyelitis
Rubella
0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2
Rubella – congenital
0.4 <0.1
Tetanus
<0.1 <0.1 0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Varicella zoster (chickenpox)
2.4 NN 63.4 5.2 28.7 5.3 13.0 13.7 12.7
Varicella zoster (shingles)
13.6 NN 77.8 1.6 106.3 51.3 19.7 42.8 29.1
Varicella zoster (unspecified)
32.3 NN 1.7 96.7 5.6 16.4 46.8 45.4 54.9
Vectorborne diseases
Arbovirus infection (NEC)
0.2 0.1 <0.1
Barmah Forest virus infection
0.5 4.8 37.0 21.5 2.9 0.7 8.8 7.6
Dengue virus infection
5.9 4.0 28.9 5.3 3.1 1.6 5.9 21.7 6.8
Japanese encephalitis virus infection
<0.1 <0.1
Kunjin virus infection‡‡
Malaria
2.9 1.0 7.2 2.2 0.5 1.4 1.5 2.1 1.5
Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection
<0.1 <0.1
Ross River virus infection
2.9 8.3 96.5 42.6 13.2 3.5 5.0 56.6 20.6
Zoonoses
Anthrax
Australia bat lyssavirus
Brucellosis
0.1 0.5 0.1 <0.1 0.1
Leptospirosis
0.3 0.4 1.6 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.5
Lyssavirus (NEC)
Ornithosis
0.2 <0.1 0.1 0.8 0.3 0.3
Q fever
1.7 1.7 4.2 0.7 0.4 0.3 1.6
Tularaemia
Other bacterial diseases
Legionellosis
0.5 1.4 1.3 1.5 2.4 2.3 1.2 3.5 1.7
Leprosy
0.1 <0.1
Meningococcal infection§§
0.3 0.9 1.7 1.4 1.8 1.4 0.6 0.7 1.0
Tuberculosis
4.8 6.4 11.9 3.9 5.0 1.2 6.5 7.1 5.8

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Table 6: Notifications and notification rate for communicable diseases, Australia, 2007 to 2012
Disease Number of notifications 5-year mean Ratio
(2012 : 5-year mean)
Notification rate per 100,000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
* Newly acquired hepatitis and syphilis includes cases where the infection was determined to be acquired within 24 months prior to diagnosis. Queensland reports hepatitis C newly acquired under hepatitis C unspecified.

† Unspecified hepatitis and syphilis includes cases where the duration of infection could not be determined or is greater than 24 months.

‡ In Queensland, includes newly acquired hepatitis C cases.

§ Infection with Shiga toxin/verotoxin producing Escherichia coli.

|| Includes Chlamydia trachomatis identified from cervical, rectal, urine, urethral, throat and eye samples, except for South Australia, which reports only cervical, urine and urethral specimens; the Northern Territory and Western Australia exclude ocular infections.

¶ The national case definitions for chlamydial, gonococcal and syphilis diagnoses include infections that may be acquired through a non-sexual mode (especially in children – e.g. perinatal infections, epidemic gonococcal conjunctivitis).

** Does not include congenital syphilis.

†† Data for all states and territories are reported by diagnosis date, except Queensland which is reported by notification receive date.

‡‡ In the Australian Capital Territory, Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection and Kunjin virus infection are combined under Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection.

§ Only invasive meningococcal disease is nationally notifiable. However the Australian Capital Territory also reports conjunctival cases.

NEC Not elsewhere classified.

NN Not notifiable.
Bloodborne diseases
Hepatitis (NEC)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
Hepatitis B (newly acquired)*
300 262 249 228 195 193 246.8 0.8 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.8
Hepatitis B (unspecified)
6,772 6,419 6,961 6,910 6,578 6,509 6,728.0 1.0 32.1 29.9 32.1 31.4 29.4 28.7
Hepatitis C (newly acquired)*
378 365 400 397 413 466 390.6 1.2 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.6
Hepatitis C (unspecified)†,‡
11,667 10,943 10,846 10,887 9,832 9,648 10,835.0 0.9 55.4 50.9 50.0 49.4 44.0 42.5
Hepatitis D
33 41 35 36 38 30 36.6 0.8 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1
Gastrointestinal diseases
Botulism
1 0 1 0 2 0 0.8 0.0 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Campylobacteriosis
16,989 15,548 16,098 16,986 17,725 15,653 16,669.2 0.9 119.9 107.3 110.0 114.1 117.2 101.6
Cryptosporidiosis
2,808 2,001 4,624 1,479 1,810 3,143 2,544.4 1.2 13.3 9.3 21.3 6.7 8.1 13.8
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
19 32 13 9 13 20 17.2 1.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 <0.1 0.1 0.1
Hepatitis A
166 276 564 266 145 165 283.4 0.6 0.8 1.3 2.6 1.2 0.6 0.7
Hepatitis E
18 44 33 37 41 35 34.6 1.0 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
Listeriosis
50 68 92 71 70 93 70.2 1.3 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4
Salmonellosis
9,465 8,286 9,506 11,922 12,270 11,265 10,289.8 1.1 44.9 38.5 43.8 54.1 54.9 49.6
Shigellosis
596 828 616 551 494 547 617.0 0.9 2.8 3.9 2.8 2.5 2.2 2.4
STEC,VTEC§
105 98 128 80 95 111 101.2 1.1 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.5
Typhoid
90 105 115 96 135 123 108.2 1.1 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5
Quarantinable diseases
Cholera
4 4 5 3 6 5 4.4 1.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Plague
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Rabies
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Smallpox
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Viral haemorrhagic fever
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Yellow fever
0 0 0 0 2 0 0.4 0.0 <0.1
Sexually transmissible infections
Chlamydial infection||,¶
51,945 58,427 62,997 74,306 80,922 82,707 65,719.4 1.3 246.5 271.8 290.4 337.3 362.2 364.2
Donovanosis
3 2 1 1 0 1 1.4 0.7 0.014 0.009 0.005 0.005 0.004
Gonococcal infection
7,647 7,679 8,276 10,322 12,099 13,649 9,204.6 1.5 36.3 35.7 38.2 46.9 54.2 60.1
Syphilis – congenital
7 6 3 3 7 0 5.2 0.0 0.03 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.03
Syphilis – all¶,**,††
2,779 2,704 2,743 2,417 2,574 2,893 2,643.4 1.1 13.2 12.6 12.6 11.0 11.5 12.7
Syphilis < 2 years duration¶,††
1,424 1,332 1,335 1,142 1,294 1,539 1,305.4 1.1 6.8 6.2 6.2 5.2 5.8 6.8
Syphilis > 2 years or unspecified duration†,¶,††
1,355 1,372 1,408 1,275 1,280 1,354 1,338.0 1.0 7.0 6.9 7.0 6.2 6.2 6.0
Vaccine preventable diseases
Diphtheria
0 0 0 0 4 0 0.8 0.0 <0.1
Haemophilus influenzae type b
17 25 19 24 13 15 19.6 0.8 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Influenza (laboratory confirmed)
10,586 9,174 59,024 13,470 27,225 44,563 23,895.8 1.9 50.2 42.7 272.1 61.1 121.9 196.2
Measles
12 65 105 69 194 199 89.0 2.2 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.9 0.9
Mumps
582 285 166 98 156 200 257.4 0.8 2.8 1.3 0.8 0.4 0.7 0.9
Pertussis
4,862 14,284 30,158 34,809 38,721 24,069 24,566.8 1.0 23.1 66.4 139.0 158.0 173.3 106.0
Pneumococcal disease (invasive)
1,469 1,628 1,556 1,642 1,884 1,822 1,635.8 1.1 7.0 7.6 7.2 7.5 8.4 8.0
Poliomyelitis
1 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 0.0 <0.1
Rubella
34 36 27 44 58 36 39.8 0.9 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2
Rubella – congenital
2 0 0 0 0 1 0.4 2.5 <0.1 <0.1
Tetanus
3 4 3 2 3 7 3.0 2.3 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Varicella zoster (chickenpox)
1,669 1,800 1,795 1,786 2,099 1,964     18.7 19.7 12.3 12.0 13.9 12.7
Varicella zoster (shingles)
1,565 2,337 2,780 3,044 4,023 4,481     17.5 25.5 19.0 20.4 26.6 29.1
Varicella zoster (unspecified)
4,278 4,412 6,763 7,269 7,691 8,453     47.8 48.2 46.2 48.8 50.9 54.9
Vectorborne diseases
Arbovirus infection (NEC)
17 12 8 24 20 9 16.8 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.04 0.1 0.1 0.04
Barmah Forest virus infection
1,707 2,080 1,474 1,470 1,863 1,722 1,718.8 1.0 8.1 9.7 6.8 6.7 8.3 7.6
Dengue virus infection
314 561 1,402 1,227 817 1,540 864.2 1.8 1.5 2.6 6.5 5.6 3.7 6.8
Japanese encephalitis virus infection
0 1 0 0 0 1 0.2 5.0 <0.1 <0.1
Kunjin virus infection‡‡
1 1 2 2 2 0 1.6 0.0 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 0
Malaria
565 530 507 404 417 348 484.8 0.7 2.7 2.5 2.3 1.8 1.9 1.5
Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection
0 2 4 0 17 1 4.6 0.2 <0.1 <0.1 0.1 <0.1
Ross River virus infection
4,150 5,614 4,741 5,126 5,138 4,683 4,953.8 0.9 19.7 26.1 21.9 23.3 23.0 20.6
Zoonoses
Anthrax
1 0 0 1 0 0 0.4 0.0 <0.1 <0.1
Australia bat lyssavirus
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
Brucellosis
37 45 32 21 39 29 34.8 0.8 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1
Leptospirosis
108 111 141 132 215 116 141.4 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.6 1.0 0.5
Lyssavirus (NEC)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0
Ornithosis
93 102 65 61 90 75 82.2 0.9 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3
Q fever
449 378 311 335 352 358 365.0 1.0 2.1 1.8 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.6
Tularaemia
0 0 0 0 2 0 0.4 0.0 <0.1
Other bacterial diseases
Legionellosis
303 272 301 302 358 382 307.2 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.6 1.7
Leprosy
14 11 5 13 8 4 10.2 0.4 0.1 0.1 <0.1 0.1 <0.1 <0.1
Meningococcal infection§§
305 286 259 228 241 223 263.8 0.8 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.0
Tuberculosis
1,133 1,214 1,314 1,357 1,399 1,315 1,283.4 1.0 5.4 5.6 6.1 6.2 6.3 5.8
Total
146,119 159,408 237,268 209,967 238,519 243,872                

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The year in which diseases became notifiable to NNDSS in each jurisdiction is shown in Table 7.

Table 7: Year which diseases become notifiable to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, Australia, by state or territory*
Disease Year in which data first sent to Commonwealth Period of national reporting Exceptions to national reporting
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas. Vic. WA
* Data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System annual reports from 1991. First full year of reporting to Commonwealth is shown. Some diseases may have been notifiable to state or territory health departments before the dates shown here.

† Infection with Shiga toxin/verotoxin producing Escherichia coli.

‡ Includes paratyphoid in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

§ Includes neonatal ophthalmia in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria.

|| Includes syphilis – congenital from 1991 to 2002.

¶ Includes rubella – congenital from 1991 to 2002.

** Before 1997, includes Ross River virus infection, dengue virus infection and Barmah Forest virus infection.

†† Flavivirus (NEC) replaced arbovirus (NEC) 1 January 2004. Arbovirus (NEC) replaced flavivirus (NEC) in 2008.

NN Not notifiable
Bloodborne diseases
Hepatitis B (newly acquired)
1995 1993 1993 1994 1993 1993 1993 1994 1995 to present  
Hepatitis B (unspecified)
1991 1991 2004 1994 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Hepatitis C (newly acquired)
1995 1993 2005 NN 1993 1995 1997 1995 1993 to present Reported under hepatitis C (unspecified) in Qld
Hepatitis C (unspecified)
1991 1991 1991 1991 1994 1991 1991 1993 1995 to present Includes reports of incident hepatitis C, 1991 to 1994
Hepatitis D
1999 1999 1999 1997 1999 1999 1999 2001 1999 to present  
Gastrointestinal diseases
Botulism
1992 1998 1998 1997 1993 1992 1992 2001 1992 to present  
Campylobacteriosis
1991 NN 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Cryptosporidiosis
2001 2001 2001 1996 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present  
Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
1999 1999 1999 1997 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 to present  
Hepatitis A
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Hepatitis E
1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 2001 1999 to present  
Listeriosis
1991 1991 1994 1991 1992 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Salmonellosis
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Shigellosis
1991 2001 1991 1997 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present Qld did not report 1997–2006
STEC, VTEC
1999 1999 1999 2002 1999 1999 1999 2001 1999 to present  
Typhoid
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Quarantinable diseases
Cholera
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Highly pathogenic avian influenza in humans
2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 to present Reported under influenza in WA
Plague
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Rabies
1993 1997 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 to present  
Smallpox
2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 to present  
Viral haemorrhagic fever
1993 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Yellow fever
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Sexually transmissible infections
Chlamydial infection
1993 1991 1991 1991 1993 1991 1991 1993 1994 to present NSW did not report 1994–1998
Donovanosis
1991 2002 1991 1991 2002 1993 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Gonococcal infection§
1991 1993 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Syphilis – all||
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Syphilis < 2 years
2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 to present  
Syphilis > 2 years or unspecified duration
2004 2004 2004 2004 2012 2004 2004 2004 2004 to present  
Syphilis – congenital
2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 to present  
Vaccine preventable diseases
Diphtheria
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Haemophilus influenzae type b
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1994 1991 to present  
Influenza (laboratory confirmed)
2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present Influenza became legally notifiable in SA in May 2008
Measles
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Mumps
1992 1992 1995 1997 1994 1995 1992 1994 1995 to present Qld did not report 1999–2000
Pertussis
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Pneumococcal disease (invasive)
2001 2001 2001 1997 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present  
Poliomyelitis
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Rubella
1991 1991 1993 1991 1993 1995 1992 1994 1993 to present  
Rubella – congenital
2003 2003 2003 1997 2003 2003 2003 2003 2003 to present  
Tetanus
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present Qld did not report 1991–1993
Varicella zoster (chickenpox)
2006 NN 2006 2006 2006 2006 2009 2006 2006 to present  
Varicella zoster (shingles)
2006 NN 2006 2006 2006 2006 2002 2006 2006 to present  
Varicella zoster (unspecified)
2006 NN 2006 2006 2006 2006 2009 2006 2006 to present  
Vectorborne diseases
Barmah Forest virus infection
1995 1995 1997 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 1995 to present  
Dengue virus infection
1993 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1995 1991 to present  
Arbovirus infection (NEC)**,††
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present Includes JEV, MVEV and Kunjin 1991–2000
Japanese encephalitis virus infection
2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present  
Kunjin virus
2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present Reported under MVE in ACT
Malaria
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Murray Valley encephalitis virus infection
2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present Combined with Kunjin in ACT
Ross River virus infection
1993 1993 1991 1991 1993 1993 1991 1991 1993 to present  
Zoonoses
Anthrax
2001 2001 2001 1991 2002 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present  
Australian bat lyssavirus
2001 2001 2001 1998 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present  
Brucellosis
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Leptospirosis
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Lyssavirus (NEC)
2001 2001 2001 1998 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 to present  
Ornithosis
1991 2001 1991 1992 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present Qld did not report 1997–2001
Q fever
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Tularaemia
2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 to present  
Other bacterial infections
Legionellosis
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Leprosy
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Meningococcal infection
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  
Tuberculosis
1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 1991 to present  

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Data completeness

In 2012, sex and age at onset was complete for 99.9% of notifications in NNDSS (Table 8).

Table 8: Completeness of National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System data, Australia, 2012, by state or territory
  State or territory Aust.
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas. Vic. WA
Total notifications
3,784 52,564 7,064 67,328 19,795 6,257 53,775 33,255 243,872
Sex
Unknown/ missing
2 96 0 8 0 0 197 1 304
Per cent complete
99.9 99.8 100.0 >99.9 100.0 100.0 99.6 >99.9 99.9
Age at onset
Unknown/ missing
0 21 0 33 0 0 135 3 192
Per cent complete
100.0 >99.9 100.0 >99.9 100.0 100.0 99.7 >99.9 99.9

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Indigenous status

Indigenous status was complete for 51.5% of notifications, and varied by jurisdiction. Indigenous status was complete for 94.7% of data reported in the Northern Territory, 93% in Western Australia and 91.5% in South Australia. In the remaining jurisdictions, Indigenous status completeness ranged from 16.8%–50.1% (Table 9).

Table 9: Indigenous status completeness of National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System data, Australia, 2012, by state or territory*
  State or territory Aust.
ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas. Vic. WA
* Indigenous status is usually obtained from medical notification and completeness varies by disease and by state and territory. This reflects differences in notification requirements (i.e. depending on the jurisdiction, some diseases are primarily or completely notified by pathology laboratories rather than clinicians) and the fact that it is not possible to follow up all cases for diseases with a large volume of notifications and/or not requiring specific case based public health action.
Total notifications
3,784 52,564 7,064 67,328 19,795 6,257 53,775 33,255 243,872
Indigenous status
Unknown/ missing
2,869 43,742 376 36,775 1,685 3,667 26,847 2,325 118,286
Per cent complete
24.2 16.8 94.7 45.4 91.5 41.4 50.1 93.0 51.5

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Data completeness on Indigenous status also varied by disease as summarised in Appendix 3. There were 7 diseases for which notifications were 100% complete for Indigenous status. A further 25 diseases equalled or exceeded 80% completeness for Indigenous status.

In 2012, CDNA set target thresholds of 95% completeness for 18 priority diseases (Table 10) and 80% completeness for the remainder of the notifiable diseases. In 2012, there were 8 priority diseases for which Indigenous status completeness exceeded 95% (donovanosis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis A, measles, meningococcal infection, syphilis < 2 years duration, leprosy, and tuberculosis).

Table 10: Percentage completeness of Indigenous status for priority diseases in National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System data, Australia, 2012, by state or territory
Priority disease ACT NSW NT Qld SA Tas. Vic WA Aust.
NDP No data provided.
Dengue virus (locally acquired)
100.0 89.3 34.0 54.2
Donovanosis
100.0 100.0
Gonococcal infection
100.0 26.2 97.1 70.9 96.6 91.4 64.2 99.9 64.7
Haemophilus influenzae type b
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Leprosy
100.0 100.0
Measles
97.6 100.0 75.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 97.5
Meningococcal disease (invasive)
100.0 100.0 100.0 93.7 100.0 100.0 80.0 100.0 95.1
Pertussis <5 years
93.8 88.3 100.0 58.5 98.2 98.3 88.3 97.1 83.6
Shigellosis
83.3 67.7 100.0 75.6 100.0 71.4 95.8 100.0 87.6
Tuberculosis
94.4 99.6 100.0 97.2 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.4
Hepatitis A
100.0 97.6 100.0 73.5 100.0 100.0 88.7 100.0 89.7
Hepatitis B (newly acquired)
100.0 86.2 100.0 63.6 100.0 100.0 92.3 100.0 85.5
Hepatitis C (newly acquired)
100.0 59.6 97.4 95.7 78.2 100.0 86.9
Syphilis – congenital
HIV
NDP NDP NDP NDP NDP NDP NDP NDP NDP
Pneumococcal disease <5 years
100.0 98.5 100.0 76.5 100.0 100.0 91.9 100.0 93.6
Pneumococcal disease ≥ 50 years
100.0 95.1 100.0 84.5 100.0 100.0 94.1 100.0 94.2
Syphilis < 2 years
100.0 91.2 100.0 96.3 96.2 100.0 89.2 100.0 92.7

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