Outbreaks and incident management

Local government environmental health professionals are responsible for assisting the Department of Health with the investigation of certain diseases, outbreaks and other incidents.

The identification, investigation and control of disease outbreaks and other incidences may require the coordination and sharing of information between various government agencies including:

  • Local Governments
  • Environmental Health Directorate and Communicable Disease Control Directorate, WA Department of Health
  • Population Health Units, North, South or East Metropolitan Health Service, or the WA Country Health Services, WA Department of Health
  • PathWest

All government agencies work together during outbreak investigations, collecting and sharing information to identify, investigate, control and prevent the continuance and where possible the recurrence of an outbreak or incident.

Common disease investigations, outbreaks and incidents that may require local government involvement

Environmental health investigation Common diseases / pathogens / incidents  Resources
Asbestos contamination in residential houses
  • High pressure hose used on asbestos
Fire damaged asbestos in residential houses
  • Friable asbestos contamination
Food recalls
  • Trade recall
  • Consumer recall
  • Mandatory recall
  • Withdrawal
Food-borne illness outbreak investigation
  • Salmonella
  • Camplyobacter
  • Norovirus
  • Rotavirus
  • Hepatitis A
  • Shigella
  • Clostridium
Harmful algal blooms  
Legionnaires' Disease investigation
  • Legionella pneumophilia

 

Vector borne illness investigation
  • Ross River virus disease
  • Barrah Forest Virus disease
  • Kunjin disease
  • Murray Valley encephalitis
 
Waterborne illness investigation
  • Amoebic meningitis
  • Cryptosporidiosis
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Wastewater overflows
  • Sewage spills in recreational waters 
  • Domestic overflows
Last reviewed: 28-10-2020
Produced by

Environmental Health Directorate