The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 requires that prescribed conditions are notified to the Department of Health and Human Services by persons in charge of pathology services (laboratories) and medical practitioners (doctors). The law exists to monitor and control the occurrence of infectious diseases and other specified conditions, and helps to prevent further illness. The aim is to protect the health and safety of the community.
Click on an Online link or Form link in the Notify now column of the table below to notify the relevant condition. Additional information, fact sheets and forms are available in the Downloads section of this page. Click on the link in the BHC info column for patient information about the notifiable condition. The information is provided from the Better Health Channel.
The department has recently upgraded the online notification forms to a new platform hosted by the Commonwealth Government's Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. The new forms provide a better user experience and ability to save partially completed forms. The information you provide in these forms is protected and only visible by authorised staff within the department.
Important: Group A conditions require immediate notification to the department by telephone on 1300 651160 (24 hours) upon initial diagnosis or clinical suspicion (presumptive or confirmed), followed by written notification within five days.
Notifiable conditions
The following table outlines which infectious are notifiable in Victoria, and when to notify.
Condition groups
Infectious diseases are grouped into A, B, C or D according to when and how they should be notified:
- Group A conditions require immediate notification to the department by telephone on 1300 651 160 (24 hours) upon initial diagnosis or clinical suspicion (presumptive or confirmed), with written notification to follow within 5 days.
- Group B conditions require written notification only within 5 days of diagnosis (presumptive or confirmed).
- Group C conditions include the sexually transmissible diseases. To preclude identification of the patient, only the first two letters of the first and last names of the patient are required.
- Group D conditions include HIV infection and AIDS, and written notification is required within 5 days of confirmation of diagnosis.
How to notify
Notify all conditions using one of the following methods:
- Telephone 1300 651 160 (24 hours)
- Fax to 1300 651 170
- Post to Department of Health and Human Services, Reply Paid 65937, Melbourne VIC 8060
- online (via this page).
NOTE: Group A conditions MUST also be notified immediately by phone if you choose to notify in writing.
Standard notification forms apply for all group A, B and C conditions, and contain the minimum mandatory information required. Using the standard form, you can notify securely online or download a form to complete and post or fax later.
Enhanced notification forms are used for some diseases. These enhanced forms collect the same mandatory information as the standard form, as well as additional epidemiological data about the case.
Do not email notifications.
Downloads