Search

Objective: To assess awareness and risk of Q fever among agricultural show attendees. Setting: University of New England's Farm of the Future Pavilion, 2019, Sydney Royal Agricultural Show. Participants: Participants were ≥18 years, fluent in English, Australian residents, and gave their informed consent. Main Outcome Measures: Participants reported whether they had ever heard of Q fever and then completed the 'Q Tool' (www.qfevertool.com), which was used to assess participants' demographics and risk profiles. Cross‐tabulations and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between these factors. Results: A total of 344 participants were recruited who, in general, lived in major NSW cities and were aged 40–59 years. 62% were aware of Q fever. Living in regional/remote areas and regular contact with livestock, farms, abattoirs and/or feedlots increased the likelihood of Q fever awareness. Direct or indirect contact with feral animals was not associated with Q fever awareness after controlling for the latter risk factors. 40% of participants had a high, 21% a medium, and 30% a low risk of exposure. Slightly less than 10% reported a likely existing immunity or vaccination against Q fever. Among those who were not immune, living in a regional or remote area and Q fever awareness were independently associated with increased likelihood of exposure. Conclusions: Awareness of Q fever was relatively high. Although 61% of participants had a moderate to high risk of exposure to Q fever, they had not been vaccinated. This highlights the need to explore barriers to vaccination including accessibility of providers and associated cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issue addressed. Ongoing tuberculosis (TB) transmission in Aboriginal communities in Australia is unfair and unacceptable. Redressing the inequity in TB affecting Aboriginal peoples is a priority in Australia's Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Control. Improving TB care needs not to just identify barriers but do something about them. Privileging the voices of Aboriginal people affected by TB is essential to identify effective and enabling strategies. Methods: A barramarrany (Aboriginal family) affected by recurring TB partnered with TB and Environmental Health teams using a participatory action research (PAR) methodology to improve housing health hardware and nutrition alongside biomedical TB prevention and care. A combination of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion; the International "End TB" Strategy; and Aboriginal barramarrany leadership, worldviews and traditional values guided actions to reduce TB transmission. Results: Together the partners improved housing hardware and access to nutritious food, so the barramarrany could create a setting for good health and wellbeing. These actions supported the barramarrany to regain the physical, social and emotional wellbeing to deal with day‐to‐day challenges and stresses. The barramarrany were able to better sustain supportive relationships; grow, prepare and eat healthy food; and participate in health care activities. The barramarrany could better engage with medical approaches for TB and four barramarrany members completed TB treatment. The PAR action‐project enabled and supported early TB diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Conclusion: Amplifying the voices of Aboriginal people and shared ownership of TB diagnosis, treatment and prevention by the barramarrany, was underpinned with principles of self‐determination, capacity building and social justice. This PAR action‐project provides further evidence that improving housing and nutrition can assist in Ending TB while improving wellbeing. So what?: Our action‐research project undertaken within a PAR framework demonstrates the implementation of End TB Strategies by utilising the Ottawa Charter's five actions to promote health, by understanding and centralising the social determinants of health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of exposure to the causative agent of Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) and of current infections among blood donors in Australia.Design, Setting: Cross-sectional study in metropolitan Sydney and Brisbane, and in non-metropolitan regions with high Q fever notification rates (Hunter New England in New South Wales; Toowoomba in Queensland).Participants: Blood donors attending Red Cross collection centres during October 2014 - June 2015 who provided sera and completed a questionnaire on Q fever vaccination status, diagnosis and knowledge, and exposure history.Main Outcome Measures: Age- and sex-standardised seroprevalence of phase II IgG antibodies to C. burnetii (indicating past exposure) and independent risk factors for seropositivity; presence of C. burnetii DNA (indicating current infection and risk of transmission by blood transfusion).Results: 2740 donors (94.5% response rate) completed the questionnaire and supplied sera for analysis. Crude antibody seroprevalence was 3.6%. Standardised seroprevalence was higher in non-metropolitan than metropolitan regions (NSW, 3.7% v 2.8%; Queensland, 4.9% v 1.6%; statistically significant only in Queensland). Independent predictors of antibody seropositivity were regular contact with sheep, cattle, or goats (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.3; 95% CI, 2.1-14), abattoir work (aOR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-3.9), and assisting at an animal birth (aOR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2-3.6). Having lived in a rural area but having only rare or no contact with sheep, cattle or goats was itself a significant risk factor (v never lived rurally: aOR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.9). 40% of people in groups recommended for vaccination were aware of the vaccine; 10% of people in these groups had been vaccinated. C. burnetii DNA was not detected in 1681 non-metropolitan samples, suggesting that transmission by blood donation is unlikely.Conclusions: Given their exposure to multiple risk factors, vaccination against Q fever should be considered for all rural residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Bacterial skin infections in Indigenous children in Australia frequently lead them to access primary health care. This systematic review aims to identify and analyse available studies describing the treatment and prevention of bacterial skin infections in Indigenous children. Methods: Electronic databases including Scopus, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest, Informit and Google Scholar were searched. Studies in English published between August 1994 and September 2016, with the subject of bacterial skin infections involving Indigenous children and conducted in Australia, New Zealand, the USA or Canada were selected. Results: Initially 1474 articles were identified. After the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles remained. Strategies for the treatment and prevention of bacterial skin infections included the management of active infections and lesions, improving environmental and personal hygiene, the installation of swimming pools and screening and treatment. Conclusion: There is a need for more, rigorous, large‐scale studies to develop evidence for appropriate, culturally acceptable methods to prevent and manage bacterial skin infections in Indigenous children in Australia. The problem is complex with multiple determinants. Until underlying socioeconomic conditions are addressed skin infections will continue to be a burden to communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To identify what New South Wales ( NSW) farmers know about Q fever to inform preventive approaches. Design Thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through semi-structured individual interviews, focus groups and a community meeting. Setting Rural communities in NSW, Australia. Participants A total of 25 farmers participated in individual interviews ( n = 4) or three focus groups, each with seven participants ( n = 21). A further 27 persons, were involved in a community meeting. Main outcome measures Themes derived from the interviews, focus groups and community meeting. Results Knowledge variations regarding Q fever risk and transmission highlight a need for improved risk communication. Vaccination was viewed as the preferred prevention approach; barriers were raised including time, costs, access to screening/vaccination and General Practitioner ( GP) knowledge about Q fever. Local vaccination initiatives were supported. Conclusions Strengthening existing GP knowledge and services leading to expanded provision of screening/vaccination could improve the coverage of Q fever vaccine in endemic NSW farming and rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of children less than 12 months of age presenting to Hunter New England (HNE) emergency departments (EDs) during 2009 who were overdue for immunisations and identify factors associated with overdue status. Methods: The immunisation status of all children aged between 3 months and 1 year (120-365 days) who presented at an HNE ED between 1 January and 31 December 2009 was determined using Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) 30-day overdue reports. The ED dataset and ACIR reports were linked using a deterministic method. Results: Six per cent (253/4218) of children who attended an HNE ED in 2009 were overdue for immunisation and 28.1% (71/253) presented multiple times while overdue. There was a median delay of 77 days from their first presentation while overdue until they no longer appeared on the ACIR 30-day overdue report. Children who presented while overdue were more likely to present multiple times to EDs (RR = 1.45; P = 0.0025), be in a life-threatening triage category ( P = 0.012) and present at tertiary referral hospitals ( P < 0.001). Conclusions: Important missed immunisation opportunities occurred in HNE EDs and may occur in other EDs in Australia. Half of the children who presented to Hunter New England emergency departments while overdue for immunisation remained overdue for greater than 77 days following their presentation. Opportunities exist in EDs and paediatric inpatient wards for ensuring that all children are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A beam steerable square loop antenna is presented over a high impedance surface with RF-absorber. For a test frequency of 5.0 GHz, the proposed antenna is 4.69-mm thick and has an impedance bandwidth of 700 MHz and a gain of 7.93 dB. When compared with a recent published steerable square loop antenna over hybrid high impedance surface, the new antenna offers near equivalent performance but with a much simpler design and a cheaper fabrication process. The absorber's permittivity is found to control the antenna's beam tilt and sidelobe level. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:481-485, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.25777 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs fever infection imposes on the Australian population at significant cost to health services. Topic include transmission from animals to humans occurs through aerosol inhalation of bacteria from infected urine, faeces, milk and birth products or dust contaminated by infected secretions mainly from cattle, sheep, goats and kangaroos.

The article presents research on the coverage of influenza vaccine among pregnant women in New South Wales, Australia conducted during the influenza season of 2011. It discusses findings on the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccine based on the Health Belief Model and Precaution Adoption Process Model of health behaviour on topics including self-reported receipt of vaccine, demographic traits, and attitudes toward vaccination.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to an article about isoniazid hypersensitivity in children.