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 the 'Online' 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 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 table below outlines which infectious diseases are notifiable in Victoria, the timeframe they are required to be notified in, and provides links to notification forms.
Condition groups
Infectious diseases are grouped as 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 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 C conditions require written notification within 5 days of the initial diagnosis.
- Group D conditions include HIV infection and AIDS. 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 require written notification within 5 days of the initial diagnosis.
How to notify
Note: Group A conditions must be notified immediately by telephone to 1300 651 160.
Notify all other conditions using one of the following methods:
- Fax to 1300 651 170
- Post to Department of Health and Human Services, Reply Paid 65937, Melbourne VIC 8060
- Online (via this page).
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 from the links above and return the form by post or fax.
Enhanced notification forms are available for some diseases, via the links on the above table. Enhanced notification forms collect the same mandatory information as the standard form, as well as additional epidemiological data about the case and/or potential public health risks.
Do not email notifications.