THE Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) is warning people to get vaccinated and take other steps to guard against Q fever, as drought and high winds may increase the risk of the disease spreading.
However, Phil Naden CEO of Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service (which operates both of Coonamble’s medical practices) says that for Coonamble district residents, getting a protective vaccination is currently difficult as there are no local doctors accredited to undertake the two-step screening and vaccination process.
“This is a story that needs to be told,” Mr Naden said.
“Q Fever is highly prevalent in Coonamble and if there’s prevention there we should have it readily available.”
WNSWLHD Health Protection Manager, Priscilla Stanley, said so far this year there have been 47 confirmed cases of Q fever in the WNSWLHD area. In 2018, there were 41 confirmed cases of the disease in the area.
“Q fever is a serious bacterial infection caused by inhaling dust particles contaminated by infected animal secretions that does not just affect farmers or people who deal with livestock,” Priscilla said.
“The infection is carried by cattle, goats, sheep and other domesticated and wild animals, so people who work on the land are most at risk.
“However, the bacteria can easily be carried on farm tools or work clothes and brought into the family home.”
According to Ms Stanley, there has been an increase in Q fever cases over the past several years across Australia and the emergence of the disease in groups who do not regularly work on farms or abattoirs, such as Aboriginal people, itinerant workers and contractors.
“Q fever symptoms often appear like severe flu, with high fevers and chills, sweating, severe headaches, muscle and joint pains and extreme fatigue,” she said.
“Chronic lethargy can remain for months after treatment.”
Successful Q Fever clinics were run in Coonamble in 2016 and 2017 through a collaboration involving the local branch of the Red Cross, Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service (CAHS), and the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
However efforts to have a repeat of these clinics or to have screening and vaccination available through GPs on a year-round basis have not progressed.
“The Red Cross is trying to work hard with CAHS to get a program happening,” said Red Cross member and local veterinarian Kylie Parry.
“There was one doctor trained and he left so we have been supporting CAHS in their bid to secure both training and funding to make the screening and vaccination available again in Coonamble, and bring down the cost of each vaccination.”
“People need to be able to have it whenever they need it,” Mrs Parry said.
“Currently in Coonamble there is no access to Q Fever screening and vaccination.”
“If someone wants to protect themselves against Q Fever, it involves two costly and time-consuming visits to a doctor in Dubbo to receive the pre-vaccination skin test and blood test, and then the vaccine,” she said.
“On top of this is the cost of the vaccine itself, which is not subsidised and costs up to $200.”
“Our local branch of the Red Cross has fundraised as hard as we can to try to get this program started,” Mrs Parry said. “We need support, logistics and medical expertise to bring this to fruition.”
But ensuring that all safeguards are in place to run a screening and immunisation clinic is not straightforward and the cost to CAHS of replacing a doctor, nurse and other staff to attend a clinic is a factor.
Mr Naden said CAHS submitted an application for funding from the Western NSW Primary Health Network at the end of June and that he’d hoped to have news of the outcome by now.
“There’s a need for it and if we don’t hear anything in the next couple of weeks in relation to securing further funding we will work with the Red Cross and Western Local Health District to deliver a clinic,” Mr Naden said.
