What is a Communicable Disease?

A communicable disease is an infectious disease that is spread from one person to another through a variety of ways that include: contact with blood and bodily fluids; breathing in an airborne virus; or by being bitten by an insect. The timely detection of communicable diseases is important to reduce the potential to cause a serious impact on the community.

Examples of infectious diseases:

• Measles, Whooping Cough, Meningococcal Disease, Mumps 

The goal of our Communicable Disease service is to reduce the impact of infectious diseases in Northland, especially on our vulnerable populations. We achieve this goal through the follow-up of people with notifiable diseases and the use of population health prevention and control programmes.

What is a Notifiable Disease?

Infectious diseases that are notifiable (by medical practitioners and laboratories to the Medical Officer of Health) under the Health Act 1956, are diseases that may pose a threat to other people and to the health of the public. Click here to obtain a list of notifiable diseases in New Zealand.

Notifications are followed up either by staff from the Northland Communicable Disease Team, Northland Public Health Unit or by staff employed by a District Council.

Contacts:

If you have any concerns about your health please see your GP or phone Healthline on 0800 611 116