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Quarantinable diseases

Human diseases covered by the Quarantine Act 1908, and notifiable in 2002 were cholera, plague, rabies, yellow fever, and four viral haemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Marburg, Lassa and Crimean-Congo). In 2002, cholera was the only quarantinable disease notified in Australia, with two cases notified to NNDSS. The first case was a one-year-old female with Vibrio cholerae O1 reported in New South Wales and had contracted the infection in Pakistan. The second case was a 71-year-old male with Vibrio cholerae O1-bv EL TOR, reported in Victoria and is believed to have been infected in Vietnam.

Cholera, plague, rabies, yellow fever, and viral haemorrhagic fevers are of international public health importance and are notified to the World Health Organization. Although no local transmission had been reported in Australia, these diseases continue to occur around the world. Travellers are advised to seek information on the risk of contracting these diseases in their destinations and take appropriate measures. Information on quarantinable diseases can be found on the DoHA website at: http://www1.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/
publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-quaranti-index.htm