Communicable disease
WPHU showcases public health excellence at 2025 Communicable Diseases and Immunisation Conference
Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) was proud to showcase its expertise and innovation in public health at the 2025 Public Health Association Australia Communicable Diseases and Immunisation Conference, with five abstracts presented.
Each abstract reflected the strength of collaboration across the unit, drawing on the expertise of Health Protection, Medical, Business Systems and Workforce, Communications and Data, Epidemiology and Surveillance teams. Together, the abstracts demonstrated WPHU’s commitment to protecting community health and responding to emerging local public health challenges in a timely, evidence-based manner.
The presentations explored a wide range of topics, from outbreak response and pandemic preparedness to community engagement. Submitted abstracts included:
- All in a weekend: The first 72hrs of an unprecedented legionella outbreak – an in-depth look at WPHU’s rapid response to a complex and high-risk public health incident, presented by Dr Storm Holwill.
- Delivering awareness: using mailbox outreach to inform residents of local Buruli ulcer risk – highlighting an innovative, localised communication strategy to raise awareness in at-risk areas, presented by Dr Michael Birrell.
- Family cluster of locally acquired hepatitis A – detailing the detection and management of an unusual transmission event within a household setting, presented by Dr Cheryl Thomas.
- Management of a hepatitis A outbreak in a primary school setting – sharing the coordinated approach taken to minimise transmission risk and reassure the school community, presented by Dr Storm Holwill.
- Pandemic preparedness: use of a tabletop exercise to inform preparedness planning – outlining how planning exercises are strengthening the unit’s response readiness for future public health threats, presented by Erica McCormick.
During the conference, we were thrilled to receive the news that one of our abstracts, with lead author Dr Michael Birrell, “Delivering awareness: using mailbox outreach to inform of local Buruli ulcer risk,” was awarded the conference prize for best abstract relating to an outbreak or emerging public health issue.
Presenting at this national conference highlights the depth and diversity of public health work undertaken at WPHU to deliver timely, effective local public health responses.
