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Communicable Diseases

Communicable Diseases

1. Communicable disease surveillance and control

The Public Health Act 2010 (legislation) require that certain infectious diseases or medical conditions be notified to the local Public Health Unit by doctors, laboratories, hospitals, aged care facilities, schools and child care centres. Information on infectious diseases or medical conditions to be notified is available here.

The team follow-up these notifications according to the NSW Public Health Unit Control Guidelines. You may be contacted to assist the team in investigating these notifications and implementing preventative or therapeutic measures.

If you wish to make a disease notification or report an unusual disease outbreak, you can contact the Communicable Diseases team on 9840 3603.

Current warnings about public health risk of infectious diseases is available on the NSW Health Infectious Disease - Alerts website.

More information for clinicians and other professionals including clinician alerts, reports and surveillance date and Public Health Unit contact details are available on the NSW Health Infectious Diseases website.

2. Outbreak Information for Child Care Facilities

The Communicable Disease team is available to assist you and your staff in managing and controlling outbreaks of diseases within your facility. To report an outbreak or for more information call the team on 9840 3603.

Useful links for childcare facilities:

Viral gastroenteritis – including controlling viral outbreaks

Gastro pack for childcare centres

NHMRC Staying Healthy – Preventing infectious disease in early childhood education and care services

Infectious Diseases of childhood factsheet - for your parents and carers of children.

3. Outbreak Information for Residential/Aged Care Facilities

The Communicable Disease team is available to assist you and your staff in managing and controlling outbreaks of diseases within your facility.

To report an outbreak or for more information call the team on 9840 3603.

Gastoenteritis

Aged Care Facilities in NSW are required to notify gastroenteritis in an institution among people of any age, and food borne illness in 2 or more related cases, to their local Public Health Unit (PHU) under the Australian Aged Care Act 1997.

Useful links for on managing gastroenteritis outbreaks within Aged Care Facilities:

NSW Health Gastroenteritis in Aged Care Facilities website

Gastro Info Kit

Useful resource if norovirus is confirmed within your facility: Guidelines for the public health management of gastroenteritis outbreaks due to norovirus.

NSW Health Infectious Diseases of childhood factsheet - for your parents and carers of children.

Influenza

Outbreaks of respiratory illness especially influenza affect many residential care facilities every year, causing illness amongst residents and staff. Minimise the impact of influenza outbreaks by being prepared and implementing outbreak control measures early.

Useful links for managing respiratory and influenza, including resources and posters, within Aged Care Facilities:

NSW Health Residential care facilities and influenza website

CDNAGuidelines for the Prevention, Control and Public Health Management of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities in Australia.

NSW Influenza Surveillance Reports are available on the NSW Health website

The Communicable Diseases team host an annual Aged Care Facility forum before the flu season. For more information, please contact the Communicable Diseases team on 98403603 or email [email protected]

4. Publications/Newsletters

Bug Bulletin is a local publication produced by the Public Health Unit for General Practitioners and Community Health staff. All editions are available here