Communicable Diseases

What are communicable diseases?

Communicable diseases are illnesses caused by micro-organisms which can be caught from other people, from animals or from the environment.

Why is it important to stop the spread of communicable diseases?

Some communicable diseases can spread quickly among people and cause outbreaks and epidemics.  Many communicable diseases can also cause serious disease especially in very young children, pregnant women, people with impaired immunity and the elderly.

What is done to stop the spread of communicable diseases?

The Northland Population and Public Health Unit provides a range of services to prevent, control the spread of, and assist in the management of communicable diseases.

Public Health Nurses and Health Protection Officers follow up diseases which have been notified to the Medical Officer of Health. For the diseases notifiable in New Zealand to the Medical Officer of Health from medical practitioners and medical laboratories please click here.

Other activities include:

• surveillance
• investigation of cases and outbreaks
• health protection and health promotion programmes
• public education
• prevention.

More Information

1. Notifiable diseases in Northland
2. Notifiable diseases in New Zealand
3. Communicable disease fact sheets
4. Food Safety
5. Communicable Diseases in Northland 2013

Contact

If you want to talk to someone about communicable diseases talk to your nurse, doctor or pharmacist or call Healthline Ph: 0800 611 116

For questions about the public health aspects of communicable diseases contact the:

On-call Public Health Nurse or on-call Health Protection Officer
Ph: 09 430 4100

Useful Links

Ministry of Health
Ministry for Primary Industries (foodborne illness)
Immunisation Advisory Centre