The WHO have identified 20 neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), both communicable and non-communicable, that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries.

The NTD portfolio currently includes: • Buruli ulcer • Chagas disease • Dengue and Chikungunya • Dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease) • Echinococcosis • Foodborne trematodiases • Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) • Leishmaniasis • Leprosy (Hansen's disease) • Lymphatic filariasis • Mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses • Onchocerciasis (river blindness) • Rabies • Scabies and other ectoparasites • Schistosomiasis • Soil-transmitted helminthiases • Snakebite envenoming • Taeniasis/Cysticercosis • Trachoma • Yaws (Endemic treponematoses)

Of the currently noted NTDs, only chikungunya, dengue, leprosy (Hansen’s disease) and rabies are nationally notifiable in Australia.

Chikungunya

There have been no reported cases of locally acquired chikungunya in Australia. Since 2013, there have been 575 cases of overseas acquired chikungunya diagnosed in Australia.

Dengue

Dengue is not endemic in Australia, but outbreaks associated with locally acquired cases do occur in coastal areas of mainland North Queensland, where Aedes aegypti is present in suitable environments near susceptible populations. The median number of cases associated with outbreaks in Australia since 2013 have been 4.5 cases each (range 1-146). Overseas acquired dengue in Australia is most frequently acquired in South East Asia, particularly Indonesia. Increases and trends are related to frequency of travel and local epidemiology in the source country. On average, over 90% of dengue cases reported annually in Australia are overseas acquired.

Leprosy

Leprosy is an uncommon disease in Australia with the majority of cases being diagnosed in migrants from leprosy endemic countries and occasionally in local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

In 2017, a total of nine cases of leprosy were notified, representing a rate of less than 0.1 case per 100,000 population. Between 2013 and 2017, annual notifications of leprosy in Australia have ranged from 9 to 21 cases per year.

Rabies

Australia is considered to be free of rabies with the last overseas acquired case being reported in 1987.

• Based on data extracted from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) on 19 June 2018. Due to the dynamic nature of the NNDSS, data on this extract is subject to retrospective revision and may vary from data reported in published NNDSS reports and reports of notification data by states and territories.

Trachoma

Australia is a signatory to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by 2020. Elimination of trachoma as a public health problem is defined by the WHO as ‘community prevalence of trachoma in children aged 1-9 years of less than 5%’.

As part of its WHO obligation to eliminate trachoma by 2020, Australia is required to regularly collect data on trachoma prevalence. The National Trachoma Surveillance and Reporting Unit, managed by the Kirby Institute, University of NSW, provides surveillance and annual reporting of trachoma prevalence, using State and Territory Government’s data.

Trachoma program activities, data collection and analysis are guided by the National Guidelines for the Public Health Management of Trachoma in Australia (revised in 2013 and published in 2014 – see link). The below information should be read in conjunction with the Guidelines.

In 2016, 150 communities were identified as being ‘at-risk’ of trachoma. A total of 11,671 people received antibiotic (azithromycin) treatment for trachoma (including people diagnosed with trachoma, their household contacts and community members as required by the Guidelines).

Further information can be found at: Australian Trachoma Surveillance Report 2016 - http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/1B9028E9FD71332ACA257BF00018CCD6/$File/2016%20Australian%20Trachhoma%20Surveillance%20report.pdf

Guidelines for the public health management of trachoma in Australia - http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-cdna-pubs-trachoma.htm