Current disease trends and public health reports

The Public Health Unit regularly monitors trends in acute respiratory and gastrointestinal infections among the residents living in the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. Specifically, the respiratory infections of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) along with the gastrointestinal infection of norovirus. Below summarises the latest data on these infections.

Number of norovirus notifications reported by sentinel public and private pathology laboratories per week, 2015-2024

Further information on these, other conditions, and research the Public Health Unit conducts on can be found by clicking the links below.

 

Notifiable diseases data for NSW and by Local Health District are available here.

 

In this section we post recent and annual surveillance reports for respiratory viral activity and impact in South Eastern Sydney Local Health District.

Monthly Acute Respiratory Infections Report

Key Messages for local services

Month of November 2024

 

To access the full report, please contact the Epidemiology team. The full report is available exclusively to NSW Health staff.

 

Annual Acute Respiratory  Infection / Influenza Report

Sexually Transmissible Infections in South Eastern Sydney

This report, generated every six months, documents the historical trend and the demographic characteristics of sexually transmissible infections in residents within the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, focusing on chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis.

View current report: 2024 Mid Year Report

Key points of report:  Notifications for most sexually transmissible infections are lower than in the first half of 2023 except for gonorrhoea :  3423 cases of chlamydia (-2%), 2239 cases of gonorrhoea (+30%), and 275 cases of infectious syphilis (-23%) in SESLHD residents were notified.

This monthly report provides the trend (i.e. epidemic curve) since 2015 of cases of norovirus detected in sentinel public and private pathology laboratories serving the NSW population.

Number of norovirus notifications reported by sentinel public and private pathology laboratories per week, 2015-2024

 

This report, published during the summer months, monitors trends in laboratory confirmed arbovirus cases reported in residents of South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and in mosquito surveillance around the eastern tidal portion of the Georges River. It provides a summary of the main arboviral infections of concern in South Eastern Sydney (Barmah Forest virus and Ross River virus) with a breakdown of locally acquired cases to provide information on the geographic distribution of the viruses. The report also includes information on mosquito surveillance in Matraville.

View current report: November 2024

Key points of report: 

  • No cases of Ross River virus infection or Barmah Forest virus infection in SESLHD residents were reported in November 2024.
  • Two confirmed and one probable case of dengue virus infection in SESLHD residents were reported in November 2024. All were acquired overseas.
  • Local mosquito trapping will start in December 2024.

Childhood Immunisation Coverage Report

This report, published quarterly, provides an overview of the latest childhood immunisation coverage data for children living within the boundaries of South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), based on immunisation encounters for children reported by providers to the Australian Immunisation Register (formerly the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register).

View current report: Second quarter 2024

Key points of report:

As at 30 June 2024: 

  • 93.7% of SESLHD children were considered fully vaccinated at 12 months
  • 90.2% of SESLHD children were considered fully vaccinated at 2 years
  • 94.1% of SESLHD children were considered fully vaccinated at 5 years

 

Aboriginal Childhood Immunisation Coverage Report

This report, published annually, provides an overview of the latest childhood immunisation coverage data for Aboriginal children living within the boundaries of South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), based on immunisation encounters for Aboriginal children reported by providers to the Australian Immunisation Register (formerly the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register).

View current report: Annual Report for 2023

Key points of report: 

Amongst Aboriginal children in SESLHD in 2022, vaccination coverage: 

  • Increased to 93.6% fully vaccinated at 12 months 
  • Increased to 91.5% at 2 years
  • Increased to 95.7% at 5 years

School Immunisation Program Coverage Report

This report, published yearly, provides an overview of the latest school immunisation coverage for students attending school-based vaccination programs within the boundaries of SESLHD, based on immunisation encounters for students reported by school immunisation nurses.

View current report: 2023

Key points of report: 

In 2023:

  • 79% of female year 7 students received HPV vaccine.
  • 79% of male year 7 students received HPV vaccine.
  • 79% of year 7 students received the dTpa vaccine.
  • 76% of year 10 students received the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

Catch-up vaccination will be offered to students in these groups who missed out on vaccination in 2023 during clinics in 2024.