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Influenza surveillance in Australia: we need to do more than count.
- Source :
-
The Medical journal of Australia [Med J Aust] 2010 Jul 05; Vol. 193 (1), pp. 43-5. - Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- Laboratory-confirmed influenza is a nationally notifiable disease in Australia. According to notification data, Queensland has experienced more severe influenza seasons than other states and territories. However, this method ignores available denominator data: the number of laboratory tests performed. We propose that negative results of laboratory tests for influenza should be made notifiable, alongside laboratory-confirmed disease, and used to calculate the proportion of positive test results in real-time. Using data from the public health pathology services of three Australian states - Queensland Health laboratories, the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory and Western Australia's PathWest - for 2004 to 2008, we show that incorporating laboratory-negative test data into national surveillance data would add to and improve our understanding of influenza epidemiology.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0025-729X
- Volume :
- 193
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The Medical journal of Australia
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 20618114
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03741.x