Gastroenteritis - a guide for institutions fact sheet

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The Public Health Act requires that certain medical conditions be notified to the Director of Public Health (DPH). This includes outbreaks of diseases which should be notified to the Communicable Disease Prevention Unit (CDPU) by institutions. 

The Guidelines for Notifying Diseases and Food Contaminants (the Guidelines) require the responsible person of a residential care, hospital, or childcare facility, who is aware or suspects there is an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the institution to notify the DPH of the outbreak and provide details of the outbreak cases. Notification facilitates public health action and the provision of assistance in the management of these outbreaks and to control the spread of disease.

This notification requirement in the Guidelines formalises the processes which have been occurring for some time as it has been common for childcare centres and aged care facilities to notify public health of an outbreak in their institution.

This notification requirement in the Guidelines formalises the processes which have been occurring for some time as it has been common for childcare centres and aged care facilities to notify public health of an outbreak in their institution.

The list of the current notifiable diseases and the Guidelines for Notifying Diseases and Food Contaminants can be found on our Public Health Act and associated guidelines page.