High consequence infectious diseases

High consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs) are rare but deadly infections that can spread between humans and pose a threat to healthcare workers and the community. Any suspected HCID requires individual, community and system-level responses.

Examples of HCIDs include:

Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (VHF)

Ebola
Marburg
Lassa
Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic
South American VHFs
Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome

Respiratory HCIDs

Avian influenza and other novel influenza viruses
MERS-CoV
Pneumonic plague
Andes virus

Encephalitis HCIDs

Nipah virus
Hendra virus

Pox viruses

Smallpox

Newly emerged severe infections

For Health Professionals

The NSW Specialist Service for HCIDs at Westmead Hospital can provide health professionals 24/7 advice on any aspect of a suspected HCID case.

General Practitioners (GPs) and Private Hospital Clinicians

Contact your local Public Health Unit (1300 066 055) if a patient's travel history and symptoms match the criteria on the resource When to Consider a HCID. Your local PHU can assist in contacting the NSW Specialist Service for HCIDs, and assessing a patient's travel history if required.

Contact the Westmead Hospital Switchboard (02 8890 5555) and request the ID Physician on call if you can't reach your local PHU.

Do not collect blood or clinical samples for testing until after consulting the NSW Specialist Service for HCID.

NSW Health Hospital Clinicians

Contact the NSW Specialist Service for HCIDs if a patient's travel history and symptoms match the criteria on the resource. Refer to the NSW Specialist Service for HCID site for further information and the number to contact the service directly. If you do not have access to the NSW Specialist Service for HCID site, please contact your local PHU (1300 066 055) for advice.

Do not collect blood or clinical samples for testing until after consulting with the NSW Specialist Service for HCID.

Refer to your hospital's contingency plan for assessing and managing patients who may have a HCID. Your local PHU (1300 066 055) can advise on contingency plans if necessary.

Patient management

Suspected and confirmed HCIDs will be managed under the NSW Health Early Response to High Consequence Infectious Diseases Policy Directive (PD2024_005). The NSW Specialist Service for HCIDs will initiate a case teleconference to address urgent issues related to safe immediate care, transport, and testing.