April 13th, 2009 
admin This blue book has been published by the Communicable Diseases Section, Public Health Group, Victorian Department of Human Services, to assist public health practitioners in the prevention and control of infectious diseases. The Department of Human Services is committed to enhancing and protecting the health and well-being of all Victorians. Our challenge, together with public health practitioners, is to reduce community risk from communicable disease in Victoria through the implementation of patient focused and population focused control strategies based on surveillance and risk assessment.
Sample
Giardiasis
Victorian statutory requirement
Giardiasis (Group B disease) must be notified in writing within five days of diagnosis. School exclusion: exclude cases from child care and school until diarrhoea has ceased or until a medical certificate of recovery is produced.Infectious agent
Giardia lamblia is a flagellate protozoan which lives in the duodenum and jejunum.Identification
Clinical features
Giardia infection is usually asymptomatic but may present as acute or chronic diarrhoea associated with abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, vomiting, fever, fatigue and weight loss. Fat malabsorption may lead to steatorrhoea. Symptoms usually last one to two weeks or months. The rate of asymptomatic carriage may be high.Method of diagnosis
Stool microscopy for cysts or trophozoites can be used for diagnosis of Giardia however a negative test does not preclude infection.Incubation period
The incubation period is usually one to three weeks but it can be longer. It is on average seven to ten days.
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