Surveillance, Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and Trauma in South Australia

Abstract

My Master of Philosophy in Applied Epidemiology (MAE) field placement was within both the Communicable Disease Control Branch (CDCB) and the Prevention and Population Health Branch (PPH) of the South Australian (SA) Department for Health and Wellbeing.

Summary of MAE Core Activity Requirements

Analyse a public health data set To generate the first state-wide descriptive South Australian Trauma Registry (SATR) Annual Report, I analysed data for trauma events managed, and recorded in the SATR by the three South Australian (SA) Major Trauma Service hospitals between 1 July 2011 and 30 June 2016. I also analysed data within most of my other projects.

Investigate an acute public health problem or threat I was the Lead Investigator for a protracted outbreak of Salmonella Hessarek infection in SA from March 2017 to July 2018 and I participated in other investigations into clusters of Salmonella and Campylobacter infection and invasive meningococcal disease.

Design and conduct an epidemiological study I conducted a descriptive epidemiological study of SA notifications of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection between 1 February 2017 and 30 June 2018.

Evaluate or establish a surveillance or other health information system I evaluated the SA surveillance system for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection.

Critical review of the scientific literature For all projects that I was involved in, I reviewed the literature in order to understand the topic.

Report for a non-scientific audience Whilst deployed to the World Health Organisation in Bangladesh, I prepared and presented a PowerPoint presentation about Cholera to non-clinical staff at two health services servicing the Rohingya refugee population.

Oral presentation at a national conference I presented a summary of the SA S. Hessarek investigation at the 9th Southeast Asia & Western Pacific Bi-regional Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET) Scientific Conference, 5-9 November 2018.

Scientific manuscript for a peer reviewed journal I have published an article summarising the SA Salmonella Hessarek investigation to the peer-reviewed scientific journal, 'Communicable Diseases Intelligence' (CDI).

Teaching including Lessons from the Field (LFF) I conducted a 'Lessons from the field' education session on performing risk assessment during outbreak investigations for my MAE peers, taught in two course-block lectures for first-year MAE scholars and, prepared and taught infection control to clinical and non-clinical health service staff in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

MAE Course blocks I completed all five required course-blocks at ANU in 2017 and 2018. Show more