TRENDS IN INFECTIOUS-DISEASE MORTALITY IN AUSTRALIA, 1979-1994

Objective: To examine trends in infectious disease mortality in Austra lia over the period 1979-1994. Design: Descriptive study based on Aust ralian Bureau of Statistics data. Participants and setting: All person s who died in Australia during 1979-1994. Outcome measures: Infectious diseases as the underlying cause of death by international Classifica tion of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Results: Overall mortality fro m infectious diseases declined from 29.2/100 000 population in 1979-19 81 to 24.1/100 000 in 1992-1994 (P= 0.02). Respiratory infection was t he major category of infectious disease mortality, declining from 15.8 /100 000 in 1979-1981 to 10.6/100 000 in 1992-1994. HIV infection (inc reasing from 0 to 2.9/100 000) replaced kidney/urinary tract infection (3.3 to 1.5/100 000) as the second most common category of infectious disease mortality. There were also significant increases in mortality from septicaemia (1.0 to 2.6/100 000), and viral hepatitis (0.2 to 0. 5/100 000). The only group in which infectious disease mortality incre ased was men aged 25-44 years (3.4 to 15.1/100 000). The Northern Terr itory had the highest mortality rate from infectious disease, but show ed a substantial decline (162 to 76/100 000) over the study period. Th ere were also significant declines in Victoria, Queensland, and Wester n Australia. Conclusions: Mortality from infectious disease in Austral ia declined overall between 1979 and 1994. The substantial decline in the Northern Territory suggests a decline among indigenous Australians . HIV infection has become a leading cause of infectious disease morta lity, particularly among adult males.