Communicable diseases, along with maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions in Australia, accounted for an estimated four per cent of all mortality in 2008.
HIV prevalence in Australia, as a percentage of the population aged 15-49 years, is less than 0.2 per cent (2012). These levels have risen slightly since 1990. Australia is considered a nonendemic country for malaria by the World Health Organization (WHO); however, there were 3,355 reported cases of ‘traveller’s malaria’, infections acquired outside the country and brought into the national territory, in the period 2001-10. Estimated incidences of tuberculosis (TB) fell slightly in the period 1990-2012, while estimated mortality (when mortality data excludes cases co-morbid with HIV) is low and has halved in the same period. There were a reported nine cases of leprosy in 2010 and three cases of tetanus in 2009. Australia faced a surge in outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough), with 29,545 reported cases in 2009. Cases of measles, mumps and rubella were relatively low with 104, 164 and 25 reported cases respectively (2009).
