Aspren GP Influenza and Infectious Disease Surveillance

Aspren GP Influenza and Infectious Disease Surveillance This has been recognised both nationally and internationally. ASPREN data acts as an early warning system, in the event of a pandemic.

ASPREN is the national general practitioner disease surveillance network, monitoring the levels of influenza, COVID-19 and other infectious diseases circulating around Australia since 1991. OVERVIEW

The Australian Sentinel Practices Research Network (ASPREN) is a network of sentinel general practitioners and primary care providers, funded by the Commonwealth's Department of Health to provide de-i

dentified information on circulating levels of influenza, COVID-19 and other conditions seen in the Australian community. It was established by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 1991 and is currently directed through the Discipline of General Practice at the University of Adelaide. Data collected by ASPREN are used for infectious disease surveillance by State and Commonwealth Departments of Health, the World Health Organisation and for general practice research. ASPREN's ROLE IN PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

Sentinel surveillance has emerged as an essential part of an effective national preparedness and management plan for pandemic influenza. Not only does ASPREN data help contribute to detecting early warning signs for pandemics but also the occurrence of seasonal influenza and other communicable diseases, by providing information about the levels of ILI, gastro, chicken pox and shingles occurring in the community. OUR GPs

ASPREN GPs play a pivotal role in their community by providing valuable data to state and federal health departments on the levels of influenza circulating in their community. ASPREN GPs are at the forefront of disease detection with the ability to swab patients showing symptoms of influenza and subsequently finding out what respiratory virus their patient has. Positive influenza samples from ASPREN GPs are sent off to the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre and analysed to monitor the emergence of new flu strains including olsetamivir resistant strains. This provides valuable predictive data at a community level which is unobtainable from other surveillance sources.

Cruise ships are small self-contained floating cities, capable of transporting thousands of passengers across oceans, bu...
13/06/2026

Cruise ships are small self-contained floating cities, capable of transporting thousands of passengers across oceans, but they also present a closed community setting with an underappreciated infectious disease threat.

The recent cluster of hantavirus cases aboard the Cruise ship MV Hondius highlights the vulnerability of passengers on cruise ships to known and emerging…

Australia is currently experiencing a surge in RSV cases as winter arrives, with 52,383 notifications of the virus recor...
12/06/2026

Australia is currently experiencing a surge in RSV cases as winter arrives, with 52,383 notifications of the virus recorded so far this year, outnumbering both COVID-19 (41,036) and influenza (34,204) notifications. There have been 6,526 RSV cases notified in those 75 years and older.

Key Facts: Australia is currently experiencing a surge in RSV cases as winter arrives, with 52,383 notifications of the virus recorded so far this year, outnumbering both COVID-19 (41,036) and influenza (34,204) notifications.   There have been 6,526 RSV cases notified in those 75 years and older....

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge has revealed that a vaccine created entirely using artif...
11/06/2026

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge has revealed that a vaccine created entirely using artificial intelligence and tested on humans, in a first-of-its-kind trial, yielded only "limited" results in boosting patient immunity.

Cambridge trial finds first fully AI-designed vaccine tested in humans shows limited immunity boost, no serious side effects, paving way for broader clinical trials

New funding of up to US$62 million has been granted to fast-track the development of vaccine candidates against the type...
10/06/2026

New funding of up to US$62 million has been granted to fast-track the development of vaccine candidates against the type of virus circulating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Uganda. Here’s what we know about the three vaccine candidates announced this week.

There is no approved vaccine to curb the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. But new funding offers hope.

This year follows the worst influenza season in Australia on record in 2025, which saw more than 500,000 confirmed infec...
09/06/2026

This year follows the worst influenza season in Australia on record in 2025, which saw more than 500,000 confirmed infections.

Comparatively low numbers of respiratory viruses so far this year follows the worst influenza season in Australia on record in 2025, which saw more than 500,000 confirmed infections

In this world-first study, Australian researchers recruited Australian First Nations and non-Indigenous people vaccinate...
08/06/2026

In this world-first study, Australian researchers recruited Australian First Nations and non-Indigenous people vaccinated with seasonal inactivated influenza vaccines and assessed their responses in the context of comorbidities at baseline and after immunisation.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-73988-z

Scientists and public health experts need your help to track respiratory illness in the community!
03/06/2026

Scientists and public health experts need your help to track respiratory illness in the community!

Scientists and public health experts need your help to track respiratory illness in the community, writes Alexander Brown of Healthy Cities Australia

Immune cells called macrophages can devour living cancer cells – and may hold the key for successful treatment.
02/06/2026

Immune cells called macrophages can devour living cancer cells – and may hold the key for successful treatment.

Cells called macrophages can devour living cancer cells – and may hold the key for successful treatment.

A meta-analysis of previous Ebola outbreaks from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—the epicenter of the current...
01/06/2026

A meta-analysis of previous Ebola outbreaks from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—the epicenter of the current African outbreak—finds a high but improving mortality rate and identifies hemorrhage as a key predictor of death, although the certainty of evidence varied widely.

A meta-analysis of previous Ebola outbreaks from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—the epicenter of the current African outbreak—finds a high but improving mortality rate and identifies hemorrhage as a key predictor of death, although the certainty of evidence varied widely.

B cells — the ‘security guards’ of the immune system — also provide crucial support for muscles during exercise. B-cell-...
30/05/2026

B cells — the ‘security guards’ of the immune system — also provide crucial support for muscles during exercise. B-cell-deficient mice performed worse on strength and endurance tests than did mice with healthy B-cell counts. Researchers found that the absence of B cells lowers the amount of the amino acid glutamate, which is associated with improved mitochondrial and skeletal muscle function, released by the liver. A lack of glutamate in muscle tissue and the bloodstream could explain the decrease in exercise performance, they suggest.

Study in mice suggests that B cells help to regulate muscle performance.

Address

The Discipline Of General Practice
Adelaide, SA
5005

Telephone

(08) 8313 3463

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Aspren GP Influenza and Infectious Disease Surveillance posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category