Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
PLoS One. 2018 Sep 17;13(9):e0203684. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203684. eCollection 2018.
Infectious diseases contribute a substantial burden of ill-health in Australia's Aboriginal children. Skin infections have been shown to be common in remote Aboriginal communities, particularly in the Northern Territory, Australia. However, primary care data on skin and other infectious diseases among Aboriginal children living in remote areas of Western Australia are limited. We conducted a retrospective review of clinic presentations of all children aged 0 to 5 years presenting to four clinics located in the Western Desert region of Western Australia between 2007 and 2012 to determine this burden at a local level. Infectious diseases accounted for almost 50% of all clinic presentations. Skin infections (sores, scabies and fungal infections) were the largest proportion (16%), with ear infections (15%) and upper respiratory infections (13%) also high. Skin infections remained high in all age groups; 72% of children presented at least once with skin infections. Scabies accounted for only 2% of all presentations, although one-quarter of children presented during the study for management of scabies. Skin sores accounted for 75% of the overall burden of skin infections. Improved public health measures targeting bacterial skin infections are needed to reduce this high burden of skin infections in Western Australia.
传染病给澳大利亚原住民儿童的健康带来了沉重负担。皮肤感染在偏远的原住民社区很常见，特别是在澳大利亚的北领地。然而，西澳大利亚偏远地区原住民儿童的皮肤和其他传染病的初级保健数据有限。我们对 2007 年至 2012 年间在西澳大利亚西部沙漠地区的四个诊所就诊的所有 0 至 5 岁儿童的就诊情况进行了回顾性分析，以确定当地的这种负担。传染病占所有就诊的近 50%。皮肤感染（疮、疥疮和真菌感染）占比最大（16%），耳部感染（15%）和上呼吸道感染（13%）也很高。皮肤感染在所有年龄段都很高；72%的儿童至少出现过一次皮肤感染。尽管在研究期间有四分之一的儿童因管理疥疮而就诊，但疥疮仅占所有就诊的 2%。皮肤疮占皮肤感染总负担的 75%。需要采取改善公共卫生的措施来治疗细菌皮肤感染，以降低西澳大利亚皮肤感染的高负担。
