The Medical journal of Australia
-
To determine the proportion of people in New South Wales towns at high risk of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infections during the 2022 outbreak; to identify risk factors for JEV infection. ⋯ We found evidence for a substantial number of JEV infections in five regional NSW towns during a single arbovirus season in 2022. Public health responses, including effective surveillance, vaccination against JEV, and mosquito management, are critical for controlling outbreaks. Promoting behaviours that reduce exposure to mosquitoes is a core component of prevention, particularly when the vaccine supply is limited.
-
To determine the national burden of working time lost to occupational injury and disease in Australia compensable by workers' compensation schemes; to characterise the distribution of time lost by age, sex, and injury and disease type. ⋯ Occupational injury and disease covered by workers' compensation result in lost working time in Australia equivalent to more than 41 000 fulltime jobs. Distribution of the burden reflects the greater labour force participation of men, slower recovery of older workers, and the impact of common occupational injuries and diseases. Population-based monitoring of lost working time could support effective occupational health surveillance and allocation of resources for protecting the health of Australian workers.