The Communicable Diseases Team is responsible for the surveillance, investigation and control of conditions notifiable under the
NSW Public Health Act 2010 , within the community of Northern Sydney. Members of the team include public health nurses, surveillance officers and epidemiologists.
The Public Health Unit receives notifications of communicable diseases from doctors, laboratories, hospitals, child care centres and schools. The Communicable Diseases Team responds to these notifications and, depending on the disease, works closely with doctors, the people with the disease, their contacts, and others (eg hospitals, child care centres, schools), to implement public health measures to prevent further spread of disease. In addition, the team responds to reports of infectious disease outbreaks in institutions such as aged care facilities and child care centres, and to reports or complaints from people in the community about risks to the public from communicable diseases.
The team provides information to doctors, child care centres, schools, aged care facilities and members of the community about public health aspects of communicable diseases.
The team also conducts and participates in research initiatives, in particular operational research, to contribute to the evidence base of public health practice.
Links: Communicable diseases in NSW
Other useful links