The Health Act 1956 lists which diseases require notification to the NPHS, and in some cases the local authority.
The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 requires healthcare professionals to notify NPHS of anyone suffering from hazardous substance poisoning or injury, or from chemical contamination of the environment, such as pesticide poisoning.
Health Act 1956 Schedule 1 Infectious diseases — New Zealand Legislation (external link)
Waikato public health covers the Waikato and northern Ruapehu regions.
Use the BPAC form to notify public health. Use the paper form if BPAC is unavailable.
Communicable disease notification form — Waikato [PDF, 278 KB]
If the disease is on the urgent disease notification list send a notification straight away — do not wait for laboratory confirmation.
Rheumatic fever is a serious but preventable illness disproportionally affecting Māori and Pasifika children.
It starts with a sore throat caused by streptococcus bacteria.
Drop-in swabbing services to test for rheumatic fever are provided by:
They are available and free for all:
Information about rheumatic fever for health professionals
Information about rheumatic fever for the public - Health Information and Services (external link)
A guide for cases and contacts of food and waterborne illness prepared by the Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waikato public health unit, based on the Ministry of Health “Communicable Disease Control Manual” (updated 2018).
Exclusion and stool clearance criteria guideline [PDF, 69 KB]
If you are not sure or require further information, contact the public health unit:
Hepatitis B is an infectious disease which attacks the liver. It is spread by contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected person, such as through:
Most people recover from hepatitis B, and are no longer infectious afterwards. However, some people have an ongoing infection, which can cause serious complications.
There is an effective vaccine for hepatitis B, which is free for children, and some other high risk patient groups. It has been part of the routine childhood immunisations since 1988.
A baby born to a mother with hepatitis B has a high risk of becoming infected with hepatitis B at birth. The baby can be protected from the virus by giving the hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (special antibodies) directly after birth, as well as the usual childhood hepatitis B vaccines.
The best protection against measles is the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
A person needs 2 doses of MMR to be fully immunised. If they were born after 1 January 1969 check their vaccination status, as they may not be fully immunised.
Vaccines are free for children and adults who have not previously received 2 doses of MMR.
Meningococcal disease can lead to serious infections including meningitis (inflammation of the brain membranes) and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
Common symptoms of meningococcal disease include:
Meningococcal disease is treated with antibiotics. It cannot be treated at home — it’s important to seek medical help immediately, as early treatment is very important.
There is a vaccine against meningococcal disease types A, C, Y and W and also a vaccine against type B. These vaccines are not free, except for some people who are seen as being at high risk for developing the disease (such as people with impaired immune systems).
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly infectious disease that is spread by coughing and sneezing.
Our aim is to reduce spread as it can be very serious for babies.
Early treatment can reduce spread.
Immunisation during pregnancy protects babies.
The whooping cough vaccine has been and is available free for pregnant women in the second and third trimester of every pregnancy.
Infectious diseases, such as gastrointestinal diseases, can spread rapidly through aged-care facilities and early childhood education centres. Contact us on 07 838 2569 for advice on how to reduce the spread.
Send a notification in BPAC. Look for 'Hazardous Substances & Lead Notifications' on the BPAC dashboard.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that require notification are:
Health professionals should notify ESR of these diseases.
Check exclusion and clearance criteria for infectious enteric diseases, including recommended periods of exclusion from work, school or early childcare centres.