Author information

¹South East Public Health Unit, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

²Monash Infectious Diseases, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

³Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

⁴Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

⁵Victorian Infectious Diseases Service at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

⁶Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

⁷General Medicine, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

⁸Director, South East Public Health Unit, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

Surveillance case definitions are utilised to understand the epidemiology of communicable diseases and to inform public health actions. We report a case of hepatitis B infection that meets the case definition for newly acquired infection. However, further investigation revealed that this was most likely past resolved hepatitis B infection with subsequent reactivation secondary to immunosuppression, rather than a newly acquired infection. This case highlights the importance of thorough case and clinician interviews, in combination with detailed assessment of pathology results in collaboration with treating clinicians, to determine the most appropriate public health actions.