Public Health Hot Topics and Alerts
From time to time, public health issues arise which may have an actual, or potential, impact on the community. Public health alerts issued by the Public Health Unit are usually related to communicable or other infectious diseases, but they can also include environmental health threats.
This page provides links to current public health hot topics and alerts concerning the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, as well as alerts concerning New South Wales.
Hot topics
- COVID-19
- COVID-19 vaccination in NSW
- E-cigarettes
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Murray Valley Encephalitis
- Tetanus
Latest alerts
- Measles alert (21 July 2023)
- Meningococcal disease alert (04 June 2023)
You can also view other infectious disease alerts for 2023.
- Invasive group A streptococcal disease- updated clinician alert (31 July 2023)
- Measles alert GP (21 July 2023)
- Measles alert ED (21 July 2023)
- Measles alert (6 April 2023)
- MDR shigella update (31 March 2023
- Measles alert (30 March 2023)
- Shigellosis management in MSM (16 March 2023)
- Encephalitic Flaviviruses (23 February 2023)
- Foodborne Botulism (22 February 2023)
- Invasive group A streptococcal disease (5 January 2023)
- Measles alert for GPs (13 September 2022)
- Monkeypox update for GP (8 August 2022)
- Legionnaires' Disease Alert (27 May 2022)
- ATAGI statement on IFNAR1 deficiency and MMR vaccine (3 May 2022)
- Acute Hepatitis of Unknown Aetiology in Children (28 April 2022)
- Legionella alert - St George area (26 April 2022)
- Seasonal Influenza Vaccination 2022 (28 February 2022)
- Measles case identified in NSW (13 September 2022)
- Community urged to stay alert for meningococcal symptoms (5 August 2022)
- Monkeypox vaccination (4 August 2022)
- Free flu shots for all extended to 17 July (30 June 2022)
- COVID-19 vaccine booster dose protects against Omicron severe disease (28 June 2022)
- Local businesses caught selling illegal cigarettes (23 June 2022)
- Towards the elimination of hepatitis C as a public health concern (22 June 2022)
- Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning from unsafe indoor heating this winter (18 June 2022)
- New report shows impact of Omicron outbreak (15 June 2022)
- Public health alert: High-dose MDMA (ecstasy) circulating in NSW (10 June 2022)
- Free Flu shots for all in June (30 May 2022)
- Legionnaires' Disease (26 May 2022)
- Public health alert - Monkeypox (20 May 2022)
- NSW Health seizes more than $1 million of illegal nicotine vapes (16 May 2022)
- Legionella alert - St George area (26 April 2022)
- Parents urged to get children under five vaccinated against flu (21 April 2022)
- Two confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis in NSW (1 April 2022)
- Free flu vaccine for those at higher risk (1 April 2022)
- Public Health Alert: COVID-19 emergency evacuation advice (3 March 2022)
- Public health alert - mosquito warning (26 February 2022)
- Public health alert: Gastroenteritis outbreaks in childcare settings (24 February 2022)
- Keep lunches cool as kids head back to school (28 January 2022)
- Other Infectious disease alerts_2022
You can also view other Infectious disease alerts for 2022.
- Warning: High-dose ecstasy circulating in Sydney (28 December 2021)
- Don’t risk a Salmonella Summer, be cautious this Christmas (21 December 2021)
- Slithering snakes and scurrying spiders (6 December 2021)
- Public health alert: Raw Pacific oysters from Coffin Bay South Australia linked to NSW Vibrio parahaemolyticus outbreak (19 November 2021)
- Potent hallucinogen found in ‘MDMA powder’ in Sydney (2 July 2021)
- Mycobacterium chimaera and open-heart cardiac surgery (June 2021)
- Protect yourself, loved ones - get your flu shot (26 May 2021)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa piercing-related infections (12 May 2021)
- Test often and treat early to prevent HIV (29 March 2021)
- Flood related health risks (26 March 2021)
- Beware of environmental health risks in flood clean up (25 March 2021)
- Antimicrobial resistant gonococcal infection (21 March 2021)
- Illegal e-cigarettes seized in crackdown (18 February 2021)
- Lymphoedema early intervention pilot to help breast cancer surgery patients (15 February 2021)
- Legionnaires' disease cases prompt reminder for cooling tower checks (12 February 2021)
- Infection control breaches at Detoxologie Bondi Junction (3 February 2021)
You can also view the infectious disease alerts from NSW Health for 2021.
- MDR Shigellosis Update (23 November 2020)
- Legionella found in Haymarket cooling towers (28 February 2020)
- Legionella found in Haymarket cooling tower (8 February 2020)
- Novel Coronavirus 2019 - Update for clinicians and NSW Emergency Departments (7 February 2020)
- Infant traveller latest measles case (6 February 2020)
- Measles alert after new case confirmed (2 February 2020)
- Novel Coronavirus advice for parents ahead of school returning (27 January 2020)
- NSW Health advice to travellers returning from Wuhan, China (21 January 2020)
- Two new measles cases brings total to nine (16 January 2020)
- GP measles alert (9 January 2020)
- Five cases of measles acquired in Sydney (4 January 2020)
- Measles alert following second case acquired in Sydney (2 January 2020)
- Measles alert after Inner-West Sydney diagnosis (1 January 2020)
- Measles alert following second case acquired in Sydney (2 January 2020)
- Measles alert (13 December 2019)
- Legionella alert for Doctors (4 December 2019)
- Measles alert for Sydney ex Samoa (21 November 2019)
- Measles alert (13 December 2019)
- Measles alert for Sydney ex Samoa (21 November 2019)
- GP Measles alert (1 October 2019)
- Measles alert for Sydney CBD and Inner West (26 September 2019)
- Measles alert for Eastern Suburbs (17 September 2019)
- Gastro cases spike among children [10 September 2019]
- Measles alert following another case from New Zealand (09 September 2019)
- Measles alert - two travellers return to Sydney with Measles (23 August 2019)
- Measles Alert - Information for NSW GP (23 August 2019)
- Measles alert after a new Sydney case in a returned traveller (09 July 2019)
- Measles alert for airport plane and train passengers (06 June 2019)
- Measles alert for the Central Coast and plane passengers (3 June 2019)
- Measles alert - new case in returned traveller (8 May 2019)
- Travellers heading overseas urged to get measles jab (18 April 2019)
- Measles update for GP (15 April 2019)
- Measles alert - Eastern suburbs (11 April 2019)
- Measles alert for Sydney and Maitland (10 April 2019)
- Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to contaminated eggs - Update (6 April 2019)
- Woman with measles sparks fresh alert (5 April 2019)
- Measles alert as cases hit 30 (4 April 2019)
- Measles alert two cases in infants (2 April 2019)
- Seasonal Influenza Vaccination 2019 information for GPs and Aboriginal Medical Services (29 March 2019)
- Measles alert for NSW Emergency Departments (28 March 2019)
- Measles alert for plane passengers (28 March 2019)
- Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs - update (28 March 2019)
- Summer flu strikes aged care facilities (18 March 2019)
- Gastro in children alert (15 March 2019)
- Measles alert for school kids and backpackers, Sydney (21 March 2019)
- NSW health renews measles alert travel (14 March 2019)
- New measles alert- international flight, airport and Sydney (4 March 2019)
- Measles alert for Sydney residents (22 February 2019)
- New measles alert for plane passengers - QR906 flight Qatar Sydney (2 February)
- New measles alert for plane passengers - SQ231 flight Singapore Sydney 22 January (31 January 2019)
- Two new measles cases in NSW (25 January 2019)
- Measles alerts - NSW (24 January 2019)
- Legionnaire's cases prompt cooling towers checks (23 January 2019)
- Measles alert for GPs (3 January 2019)
You can also view the infectious disease alerts from NSW Health for 2019.
- NSW Health warns of measles risk in City and East (29 December 2018)
- Watch out for Salmonella food poisoning this summer (21 December 2018)
- Pertussis (whooping cough) alert for NSW Pharmacists and Pharmacy managers (21 December 2018)
- Watch out for Salmonella food poisoning this summer (21 December 2018)
- Mosquito warning for Georges River area (18 December 2018)
- Q&A whooping cough in schools (22 November 2018)
- Whooping cough alert - NSW (21 November 2018)
- Measles alert for GPs- Sutherland Shire (5 November 2018)
- Measles alert - Sutherland Shire (3 November 2018)
- Schoolies urged to get ready for celebrations - vaccinations (8 October 2018)
- Contaminated strawberries, Queensland - update 2 (14 September 2018)
- Salmonella outbreak linked to eggs - NSW (7 September 2018)
- Outbreak of Polio in Papua New Guinea (5 September 2018)
- Measles alert - Northern NSW (23 August 2018)
- Multidrug resistant shigellosis - NSW (17 August 2018)
- Meningococcal Awareness Campaign - NSW (6 August 2018)
- Hepatitis A linked to imported frozen pomegranate in Australia (8 June 2018)
- Measles alert - Bankstown and Sydney CBD (23 March 2018)
- Infection control breaches at Cronulla Dental Surgery (23 January 2018)
You can also view the infectious disease alerts from NSW Health for 2018.
- NSW Health urges 20-50s to vaccinate against measles (16 October 2017)
- Measles alert - Sutherland Shire (11 October 2017)
- Measles alert - Sutherland Shire (12 September 2017)
You can also view the infectious disease alerts from NSW Health for 2017.
- Measles alert - Sydney CBD (6 December 2016)
You can also view the infectious disease alerts from NSW Health for 2016.