Public health surveillance for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Incidents during the surveillance period that prompted further investigation and action
| Incident | Aim of investigation | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleaning agents accidently released into water supply in one suburb of Sydney. 22 complaints about appearance of water received within a 3 hour period. | To ensure the incident did not cause illness | Mapped location of complaints received. Daily monitoring of emergency department data from hospitals close to the incident for cases of vomiting and/or diarrhoea. | Water issue resolved immediately. No increase in symptoms reported. |
| Three grand mal seizures among people attending the same dance party, who were reported to have used the drug ecstasy, and who presented to one sentinel emergency department within 3 hours | To determine whether the issue was ongoing | Investigation of the circumstances of the cases by the hospital concerned. Alert provided to other hospitals to be aware of such incidents. Daily monitoring of emergency department data for further incidents. | No further reports of similar incidents. |
| Increase in emergency department presentations for vomiting and diarrhoea at one sentinel emergency department | To determine whether a single point source was the cause of the increase | The local public health unit contacted all presenting patients aged over 5 years to identify risks, particularly relating to a potential outbreak of food borne illness. | No common source was identified. Number of cases decreased back to the average level of morbidity within 48 hours. |
| Increase in emergency department presentations for injuries relating to foot propelled scooters | To reduce the number of injuries associated with foot propelled scooters | Nature of injuries and their circumstances investigated. Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) alerted about issue. | Injuries occurred mainly in children and were associated with school holidays rather than the Olympic Games. Foot propelled scooters were banned from Olympic venues. |
| Increase in presentations for injuries relating to cuts by glass at a sentinel emergency department close to an Olympic entertainment site | To reduce the number of injuries related to broken glass | Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) alerted about issue. | Glass drink containers banned from entertainment sites and replaced by plastic containers. |