Infectious diseases
What is an infectious disease?
An infectious disease is a disease that can be carried by people and passed on. Infectious diseases can be transmitted through the air, through close physical contact and through touch. Infectious diseases are very hard to identify, prevent and cure as they often have several strains (types) and often have early symptoms not dissimilar to much less harmful viruses.
In order to try and control outbreaks of infectious diseases all occurrences of 'notifiable diseases' should be reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
What you can do
If you are worried about an illness please consult your doctor.
What we can do
The HPA will notify us of any notifiable diseases and we will work with them to identify the cause of the outbreak and control the risks of the outbreak spreading.
Together with the HPA we are also responsible for the port health units at Manchester International Airport helping to control diseases not endemic in the UK being brought into the country.
Additional information
Legislation
Public Health (Control of Infectious Diseases) Act 1984
