Formerly Northland DHB Communicable Disease
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:
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