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This report describes the challenges encountered in using serological methods to study the historical transmission risk ofIn 2017, serology and risk factor questionnaire data from a group of individuals, whose occupations involved close contact with horses, were collected to assess the seroprevalence of antibodies to147 participants were enrolled in the study, provided blood samples, and completed a questionnaire. On ELISA testing, antibodies to the Chlamydia genus were detected in samples from 17 participants but further specific species-specific MIF testing did not detectNo serological evidence of past

An emerging recombinant norovirus GII.P16/GII.4 Sydney 2012 strain caused a gastroenteritis outbreak amongst attendees at a large health function in regional New South Wales, Australia. This was the third outbreak caused by the recombinant GII.P16/GII.4 Sydney 2012 strain in this region in 2017, which appears to be emerging as a common strain in the Hunter New England region.

OBJECTIVE: \ud \ud A nurse-led Parkinson's service was introduced at Canberra Hospital and Health Services in 2012 with the primary objective of improving the care and self-management of people with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and related movement disorders. Other objectives of the Service included improving the quality of life of patients with PD and reducing their caregiver burden, improving the knowledge and understanding of PD among healthcare professionals, and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. This article evaluates the first 2 years of this Service.\ud \ud METHODS: \ud \ud The Context, Input, Process, and Product Evaluation Model was used to evaluate the Parkinson's and Movement Disorder Service.\ud \ud CONTEXT: \ud \ud The context evaluation was conducted through discussions with stakeholders, review of PD guidelines and care pathways, and assessment of service gaps. Input: The input evaluation was carried out by reviewing the resources and strategies used in the development of the Service.\ud \ud PROCESS: \ud \ud The process evaluation was undertaken by reviewing the areas of the implementation that went well and identifying issues and ongoing gaps in service provision. Product: Finally, product evaluation was undertaken by conducting stakeholder interviews and surveying patients in order to assess their knowledge and perception of value, and the patient experience of the Service. Admission data before and after implementation of the Parkinson's and Movement Disorder Service were also compared for any notable trends.\ud \ud RESULTS: \ud \ud \ud CONTEXT: \ud \ud Several gaps in service provision for patients with PD in the Australian Capital Territory were identified, prompting the development of a PD Service to address some of them. Input: Funding for a Parkinson's disease nurse specialist was made available, and existing resources were used to develop clinics, education sessions, and outreach services.\ud \ud PROCESS: \ud \ud Clinics and education sessions were implemented successfully, with positive feedback from patients and healthcare professionals. However, outreach services were limited because of capacity constraints on the Parkinson's disease nurse specialist. Product: The Service has filled an important health need in the local context; 98.3% of patients surveyed reported that the Service met their needs and helped them understand their care plan, achieving the primary objective of improving patient self-management. Interviews with stakeholders provided positive feedback about the value and usefulness of the Service, and healthcare professionals reported improvement in their knowledge about PD management. The evaluation also identified ongoing gaps in service provision and highlighted areas for potential improvement. No discernible trends in admission rates before and after the implementation of the Service were identified.\ud \ud CONCLUSION: \ud \ud The introduction of a nurse-led PD service has had a positive impact on the provision of care for patients with PD and is a valued service. The evaluation highlighted some ongoing gaps in service provision and has generated some recommendations to address these.

A man from a semi-rural area, 36 years of age, presented to his general practitioner (GP) with a three-day history of a febrile illness and worsening headaches. His symptoms included fever, lethargy, headache and dry cough. The patient worked as a tradesperson and kept pet birds as a hobby. He had not travelled recently and no other household members were unwell. On examination, the patient had a temperature of 37.5 C, heart rate of 145 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 24 breaths per minute, oxygen saturation of 96% on room air and scattered crepitations on auscultation. He had been previously well, was a current smoker, and did not have any other medical comorbidities.