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Community and Public Health is responsible for investigating cases of infectious diseases, as well as controlling their spread within our community. The goal is to reduce future occurrences of infectious disease.
Community and Public Health compiles and reports data on infectious disease trends for our region (disease surveillance).
Read the latest Public Health Information Quarterly on regional infectious disease trends and observations.
Read the latest Notifiable and Influenza Surveillance Reports.
Staff are also prepared to deal with large local, regional or national outbreaks or health emergencies. Examples include a national flu pandemic (like Swine Flu in 2010) or the threat of water-borne diseases in the Christchurch Earthquake aftermath.
Find out more about Community and Public Health’s planning for emergency situations.
Some infectious diseases must be reported
 The Health Act 1956 requires medical practices and other agencies or institutions, to report the following notifiable disease types to the local Medical Officer of Health:
- Common enterics (e.g. Campylobacter, Salmonella, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Yersinia)
- Serious enteric (e.g. Typhoid, Shigella, Cholera, Paratyphoid, Listeria, Hepatitis A)
- Vaccine preventable (e.g. Measles, Mumps, Pertussis, Rubella)
- Other Serious (e.g. Meningitis, Legionella, Mosquito borne, Avian Influenza, Hepatitis B and C)
Download the Complete List of Notifiable Diseases (Ministry of Health).
Download or Order Resources on Infectious Diseases.
The Communicable Disease Team’s response depends on the seriousness of the disease, and could involve:
- A postal or phone questionnaire (for common enterics)
- A hospital visit and/or interview
- Taking samples from an infected person to discover if they are contagious or are no longer infected.
- An investigation into the source of the infection.
- Offering preventative medication to people who have been in contact with an infected person.
Download forms for reporting an outbreak in a Rest Home.
Find out how to report a case of food poisoning or acute gastroenteritis.
Prevention is better than cure
Infectious disease prevention is also a big priority for Community and Public Health. The National Immunisation Programme for children is important in protecting against diseases such as measles. Another valuable vaccination programme is the annual influenza vaccination for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and chronically ill.
Medical Officers of Health are responsible for authorising vaccinators, and Communicable Disease staff can provide advice on immunisation issues.
Find out more about Immunisation.
Learn about becoming a Yellow Fever or Authorised Vaccinator.
Documents
Downloads
Order copies from the Community Health Information Centre
Links
Ministry of Health
Environmental Science and Research (ESR)
NZ Public Health Surveillance
National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Diseases
Communicable Diseases Australia
Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention (USA)
World Health Organisation
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Whooping Cough spreading from the West CoastUpdated 27 October 2011
Immunisation is the best protection from a pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak on the West Coast and in Nelson Marlborough spreading into the Canterbury region.
Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey says notifications have been on the rise in recent weeks, which is why it’s important to remember the best protection – particularly for babies aged under 12 months – is to receive childhood vaccinations on time. “Babies are most vulnerable to severe outcomes of contracting pertussis,” Dr Humphrey says. However, it’s important to note that even if you have been immunised or had the disease as a child, older people can pass it on because pertussis immunity decreases with age.
Read the Pertussis pamphlet for other steps you can take to help protect you and your family.
Immunisation against pertussis is free as part of the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule, five times between the ages of six weeks and eleven years.
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