When global becomes local: Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games international communicable disease surveillance

Authors

  • Kaitlyn Miranda Vette Australian National University
  • Patiyan Andersson Australian National University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.6

Keywords:

Surveillance, Mass gatherings, Communicable disease, Public Health, Preparedness

Abstract

The 21st Commonwealth Games (the Games) was hosted on the Gold Coast, Australia in April 2018. With a large number of international travellers congregating at the mass gathering, it was important to monitor international communicable disease outbreaks with potential to be imported into Australia. The Australian Government Department of Health (DoH) conducted and reported enhanced international communicable disease surveillance during and surrounding the Games period. Surveillance focused on diseases with higher than normal incidence in Commonwealth countries with potential to be imported through travellers and ability to continue transmission in Australia. Over four months, 27 disease events were identified, monitored and reported to local, state and federal public health authorities, as well as general practitioners and pathologists throughout Queensland. Surveillance provided situational awareness for decision making and risk assessment during the Games. It complemented and informed surveillance of local disease activity during the Games and allowed frontline health professionals to contextualise disease presentations.

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Published

2019-02-14

How to Cite

Vette, K. M., & Andersson, P. (2019). When global becomes local: Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games international communicable disease surveillance. Global Biosecurity, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.6

Issue

Section

Rapid Reports and Perspectives From the Field
Received 2018-11-01
Accepted 2018-12-10
Published 2019-02-14