Full issue of The Northern Territory Disease Control Bulletin Volume 31, Number 4, December 2024.

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ABSTRACT The Northern Territory Notifiable Diseases System (NTNDS) is the primary surveillance database collecting information related to notifiable diseases in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. This web-based system has been in use since 2004 and is managed by the NT Centre for Disease Control (CDC). We aimed to evaluate the performance of the NTNDS in meeting ongoing disease surveillance requirements in 2024, against surveillance system attributes listed by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. We used quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate 9 surveillance system attributes; these were simplicity, flexibility, data quality, acceptability, sensitivity, predictive value positive, timeliness, stability and cost, as well as overall usefulness. The evaluation revealed that the NTNDS is simple to use, stable and contains high quality data. However, the system has major limitations in terms of flexibility, timeliness, cost to implement modifications, and lacks many capabilities required in a contemporary disease surveillance system. The NTNDS is no longer suitable or fit-for-purpose when additional surveillance demands are placed on the system. We developed a list of recommendations to improve the operational efficiency of the NTNDS. However, while it is feasible to continue using and improving the NTNDS, the preference would be to replace the NTNDS with a new interoperable and contemporary surveillance system.

ABSTRACT While the Zika virus (ZIKV) is not endemic in Australia, it continues to be prevalent in many neighbouring countries in the Indo-Pacific region. It poses significant public health concerns due to its association with severe outcomes, including Guillain-Barré syndrome and congenital malformations such as microcephaly. While primarily considered a vector-borne disease, documented sexual transmission of ZIKV raises concern of unrecognised and underreported infections. This report details 2 cases of ZIKV infection diagnosed in the Northern Territory of Australia. The first case is a male traveller who contracted the virus in Timor-Leste and the second, his female partner in Australia. This represents the first reported incidence of ZIKV infection acquired in Australia. The investigation emphasizes the importance of obtaining detailed patient histories, including sexual histories, to improve detection and understanding of ZIKV transmission. It also highlights the challenges of diagnosing ZIKV due to its nonspecific symptoms and emphasises the importance of public health education regarding ZIKV transmission and prevention strategies. Clinicians need to be aware of the symptoms, geographic distribution and transmission modes of infectious diseases like ZIKV in returned travellers, as well as the potential implications for their contacts. Heightened awareness is important to ensure early detection, appropriate management and counselling, to prevent transmission.