J N Hanna

..Compared to the previous 5 years (1990 to 1994) there were far fewer cases of serogroup C disease and a lower incidence and risk of invasive meningococcal disease among indigenous people...

..About 70 cases of Hib meningitis in children were prevented by Hib immunisation in Far North Queensland between 1994 and 2003; possibly as many as five deaths and 12 cases with neurological sequelae were also prevented...

..To describe the impact of a hepatitis A vaccination program for Indigenous children in north Queensland...

..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...

..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...

..Investigations during 2002 also included a suspected dengue outbreak in the Torres Strait which proved to be a false alarm, and a number of imported cases of dengue in north Queensland...

..To describe an outbreak of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Far North Queensland in 2002...

..There was also a decline in uptake in adults 15-49 years of age in the Townsville HSD...

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..This study was undertaken to determine the appropriateness of the recommended three-year interval between booster doses of the vaccine...

..To describe the epidemiology and features of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) in Indigenous people in north Queensland from mid-1999 to mid-2004...

..To describe the epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), and the impact of pneumococcal vaccines on IPD, in Indigenous people in north Queensland...

..To describe the various investigations and responses to multiple outbreaks of dengue serotype 2 that occurred in north Queensland in 2003/04...

..To examine trends in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Indigenous people in north Queensland following the introduction of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vPCV)...

..This review describes some features of the 9 outbreaks of dengue that occurred in north Queensland over the 4 years, 2005-2008...

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..A variety of measures are described that have been put in place to attain optimal coverage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants in north Queensland with 7vPCV and to improve timeliness...

..There was considerable variation between HSDs, ranging from 159 per cent uptake in the Torres Strait and North Peninsula Area Health Service District to 48.7 per cent in the Cairns HSD...

..It is suggested that this pattern of measles outbreaks, with most cases being not preventable because of conscientious objection, will become increasingly recognised in the future...

..To describe an epidemic of dengue type 3 that occurred in far north Queensland in 1997-1999 and its influence on the further development of dengue prevention and control strategies...

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..To describe the initial coverage and impact of a pneumococcal and influenza vaccination program for at-risk Indigenous adults in Far North Queensland that formally commenced in 1996...

..To determine the distribution of virus infection during an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in the Torres Strait, and to describe the environmental factors facilitating the outbreak...

..It will be essential to maintain surveillance following the introduction of conjugate pneumococcal vaccines so as to monitor changes in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease, particularly in high-risk children...

..To investigate two outbreaks of dengue type 2 in north Queensland, one in the Torres Strait beginning in late 1996, the other in a Cairns suburb in early 1997...

..To describe the circumstances of two cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in north Queensland in 1998, including one acquired on the Australian mainland...

..A systematic approach, with a careful understanding of the barriers to routine vaccination and a means of prospectively tracking the vaccination status of each child, will be needed if state and national vaccination goals are to be met...

..Describe the features the disease and determine the likely duration of viraemia prior to implementating public health measures...

..As hepatitis A has become a leading infectious cause of death in young Indigenous children in north Queensland, hepatitis A vaccine has recently been introduced into the vaccination schedule for these children...

..Hepatitis B vaccine should have been offered to this cohort of teenagers in a 'catch-up' program during the late 1980s when they were of pre-school age...

..Two of the adults were alcoholics and the other had heavy recent alcohol intake. The public health implications, and possible optimal vaccination schedules to minimise vaccine failures, are discussed...

..Enhanced surveillance has demonstrated a need to promote the use of pre-hospital parenteral antibiotics by GPs and a need to encourage more timely reporting of cases to health authorities...

..It must be assumed that any bat in Australia could transmit ABL; anyone bitten or scratched by a bat should immediately wash the wounds thoroughly with soap and water and promptly seek medical advice...

..If vaccine recommendations had been adhered to in a timely fashion, two of the cases in children and one third (16) of the cases in adults that occurred in 2001 could potentially have been prevented...

..Despite improvements in recognition and treatment, melioidosis is still associated with a high morbidity and mortality, particularly in Indigenous Australians...