Infectious diseases in Southern NSW and Murrumbidgee

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[Dr Ian Marr]

Hi, I'm Dr Ian Marr, the Southern NSW Local Health District’s infectious diseases physician with your local Public Health Unit.

The IDE team sits alongside the immunisation environmental health teams in the Public Health Unit.

We look after the Murrumbidgee and Southern NSW Local Health Districts. We have staff based in Goulburn and in Albury.

Every year our Local Health District looks after more than 7,600 patients with conditions which are notifiable under Public Health Act. Things like measles, whooping cough and Legionellosis

infections.

[Michaela Gilbert]

Many notifiable conditions need quick action to ensure appropriate prevention and control measures are implemented.

A coordinated response is often required between doctors, labs and the infectious diseases and other teams at the Public Health Unit.

[Dr Ian Marr]
We are here to help. As a Public Health Unit we coordinate this so that you can focus on your patient.

Depending on the situation we can advise on appropriate specimen collection and lab testing and expediate this testing. We can organise vaccinations and the necessary post-exposure prophylaxis.

We can identify any high-risk settings. We can also organise environmental and health follow-up and do contact tracing and liaise with the infection prevention control staff and we assess how to educate the public and reduce the risk of transmission.

We can also refer to sexual health services and specialist doctors if need be.

[Michaela Gilbert]

To do this effectively there are a few things we need from you. The most important being a prompt notification.

The New South Wales Health webpage has the most up-to-date information on reporting processes for notifiable infectious diseases.

Notifications with a phone symbol next to them require both a call to notify us as well as the fax notification form - such as for measles. It's vital that you report cases to us as soon as practical and in some cases immediately.

Refer to this GP notification template to determine the urgency. In the case of measles let us know as soon as it's suspected. This will often be before test results are back.

It may sound odd but if someone comes in after being bitten or scratched by a bat we also need to know as soon as possible because they may have been exposed to lyssavirus which is similar to rabies virus.

Early notification to the Public Health Unit will trigger the necessary rapid responses so the case in any contacts will be best looked after.

When we talk with you, we'll be asking about symptoms, onset, treatment, possible source, other exposed people, permission to contact the case, and we may request additional testing.

[Dr Ian Marr]
This information helps the Public Health Unit provide you with the best support possible and you can care for your patient. It also allows us to work in the background to minimise the spread of the diseases.

[Michaela Gilbert]

For any infectious disease queries feel free to call the Public Health Unit or check out some of these great online resources. We're here to help anytime 24/7.

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[Dr Ian Marr]

Hi, I'm Dr Ian Marr the Southern NSW Local Health Districts infectious diseases physician for your local Public Health Unit.

If you're working in a GP practice in the Murrumbidgee or Southern NSW Local Health Districts these are your public health colleagues who are ready and available to assist you whenever you have a patient with suspected tuberculosis.

New South Wales sees around 550 cases of tuberculosis each year. People most at risk for tuberculosis are those born overseas in countries with the high incidence of tuberculosis and those who are immunocompromised.

Did you know that Aboriginal people have a TB incidence that's double compared to non-aboriginal people?

[Michaela Gilbert]

If you are the treating GP of a patient with suspected tuberculosis, a notification to NSW Health is required by telephone. You can do this by calling the Public Health Unit. We are contactable 24/7.

Notification details can also be found on the NSW Health website. Here you will find all the information required to make a TB notification to your local NSW Public Health Unit.

Call this number to speak for the TB nurse. A notification form is also available to fill out and fax to us. Contact details of all the local Public Health Units in NSW can be found on this form as well as on the NSW Health website.

Our offices are in Albury for our Murrumbidgee Local Health District and Goulburn for Southern NSW Local Health District.

It is critical that you phone us for notifications of cases of TB within 24 hours of the disease being suspected.

[Dr Ian Marr]

Your notification will trigger a series of important public health responses including contact tracing and assessment of the need of prophylactic treatment. The Public Health Unit will also coordinate all of this so you can focus on your patient.

A TB nurse will call you to speak to you and your patient to gather more information such as the occupation of the case, identifying any risk contacts, and the case’s travel and history.

We'll also seek to identify whether any high-risk settings such as aged care or childcare are involved.

We can also advise on assessing if there were any risks within the medical practice your notification will assist us to reduce the risk of ongoing disease transmission and identify outbreaks of cases of TB in order that appropriate public health action can be taken.

[Michaela Gilbert]

We're also here if you have questions about any other infectious diseases. Feel free to give us a call or check out some of these helpful online resources. Your local Public Health Unit is here to help you 24/7.

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[Michaela Gilbert]

In Australia evidence of Lyssavirus infection has been found in species of fruit bats and microbats. It is assumed that any bat in Australia could potentially carry lyssavirus.

Infection with lyssavirus is rare but has a high fatality rate. Since 1996, there have only been three cases of lyssavirus in Australia. All were bitten or scratched by an Australian bat and the infection was fatal for all three cases.

[Dr Ian Marr]

If you're working in a GP surgery in the Murrumbidgee or Southern NSW Local Health Districts, the Public Health Unit is here to assist you when a person presents with a bite or scratch from a bat.

People who have had contact with the bat will need to be assessed for post-exposure prophylaxis for lyssavirus. You'll need to call the Public Health Unit.

We will discuss the situation and the patient with you, ensure their tetanus is up to date, that any wounds have been effectively cleaned, and order post-exposure prophylaxis treatment – really only if it's needed.

Rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin are used for post-exposure prophylaxis for lyssavirus.

These are not routinely held in rural emergency departments in New South Wales. It is our job to order the required post-exposure prophylaxis medication for you so it's one less thing for you to do.

The treatment is free for Medicare eligible patients when ordered by the Public Health Unit.

[Michaela Gilbert]

Your local Public Health Unit colleagues are ready and available to assist you 24/7. We will arrange for rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin to be delivered to you for administration.

[Dr Ian Marr]

We're also here to help with people who present to your surgery after returning from overseas with a bite or scratch from an animal, such as a monkey or a dog from a country where rabies is present.

[Michaela Gilbert]

Don’t hesitate to contact your Public Health Unit colleagues whenever you have a patient who is known or suspected to have been exposed to lyssavirus or rabies. We're here to help anytime 24/7.

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[Dr Ian Marr]

Hi, I'm Dr Ian Marr, the Southern NSW Local Health District’s infectious diseases physician with your local Public Health Unit.

If you're working in a GP practice in the Murrumbidgee or Southern NSW Local Health Districts, these are your public health colleagues who are ready to assist you.

Whenever you have a patient with suspected notifiable diseases such as measles.

[Michaela Gilbert]

On the NSW Health website, you will find all the information required to make a notification to your local NSW Public Health Unit.

You can call this number to speak with a surveillance officer. A notification form is also available to fill out and fax through to us.

Contact details of all the local Public Health Units can be found on this form as well as on the NSW Health website.

Our offices are in Albury for Murrumbidgee Local Health District and Goulburn for Southern NSW Local Health District.

It is critical that you phone us for notification of cases of measles as soon as they are suspected.

[Dr Ian Marr]

Your notification will trigger a series of important public health responses including contact tracing, and the assessment for the need of prophylactic treatment, and possible immunisation.

The Public health unit will coordinate all of this so you can focus on your patient. The surveillance officer will call to speak to you and gather your patient's information such as occupation, maybe their vaccination status and the case’s travel and contact history.

We'll also seek to identify whether any other high-risk settings such as aged care or childcare are involved.

The Public Health Unit's ongoing role will be to monitor the epidemiology of the disease and the effectiveness of current control measures.

Your notification will assist us to reduce the risk of ongoing disease transmission and identify outbreaks of cases of measles in order for the appropriate public health action to be taken.

[Michaela Gilbert]

We're also here if you have questions about any other infectious diseases. Feel free to give us a call at or check out some of these helpful online resources.

Your local Public Health Unit is here to help you 24/7.

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