A report from the Communicable Diseases Network Australia October - December 2004.

The Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) consists of communicable disease authorities from various Australian Government agencies and state and territory health authorities, in addition to expert bodies and individuals in the specifi c areas of communicable disease epidemiology, clinical management, disease control and laboratory diagnosis. The CDNA provides national public health leadership and coordination on communicable disease surveillance, prevention and control, and offers strategic advice to governments and other key bodies on public health actions to minimise the impact of communicable diseases in Australia and the region. During this quarter, CDNA identifi ed several projects/areas to be addressed including: • advising the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on Japanese encephalitis vaccination for travellers to Papua New Guinea; • responding to the high incidence of an unidenti-fi ed desquamating rash in methadone users; • consideration of the implications of recommendations made in the Improving Indigenous Iden-tifi cation in Communicable Disease Systems report; and • providing input to the Australian Government's response to public health issues related to the Asian Tsunami. to CDNA for endorsement. These strategies form the overarching framework and direction for policy and program design and implementation in Australia's response to these infections and they are scheduled to take effect from 1 July 2005. The CDNA and Public Health Laboratory Network (a subcommittee of CDNA), offered comments relating to: • laboratory testing; • laboratory policy and quality assurance mechanisms ; • drug access issues; and • implementation issues. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) sought CDNA advice in relation to the recommendations for vaccination against Japanese encephalitis virus for Australians travelling to Papua New Guinea for a month or more, especially in the wet season. CDNA members resolved to accept the ATAGI recommendation to amend the Australian Immunisation Handbook 8th edition to recommend Japanese encephalitis virus vaccination to such travellers. Response to the unidentifi ed desquamat-ing rash in methadone users In October 2004, a desquamating rash was identi-fi ed in intravenous drug users receiving metha-done. By November 2004, 421 cases had been reported, mostly in western Sydney. Due to a lack of laboratory evidence, a recall of suspect batches of methadone was rejected by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the manufacturer. At this stage, as an interim precautionary measure CDNA (with agreement from the Commonwealth Chief Medical Offi cer) advised all states and territories to withdraw and quarantine suspect batches of methadone. CDNA is currently awaiting …