Tasmanian Health Update: Communicable Diseases Bulletin – February 2026
10 Mar 2026
This edition shares updates on recent disease activity in Tasmania, including a measles outbreak, non-foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks, and improvements in digital disease reporting. It also highlights the start of the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and what this means for public health in Australia.
These updates show why quick reporting, good surveillance systems, and coordinated action are important to keep the Tasmanian community safe.
Source: Communicable Diseases Prevention Unit, Public Health Services, Tasmanian Department of Health
Measles Outbreak in Tasmania
In late 2025, Tasmania saw three linked measles cases between 23 November and 22 December. The first case caught measles interstate and visited several public areas while infectious. The other two cases caught the infection from close contact. Only the first person had received two measles vaccines. One person needed hospital care.
Health teams quickly managed the cases and traced contacts. Public exposure sites were listed online, and targeted health messages were shared.
What Tasmanians should know:
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Measles symptoms: fever, tiredness, cough, runny nose, red eyes, then rash starting on the face.
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Symptoms can show 7–18 days after exposure.
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Vaccinated people may have milder or unusual symptoms.
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Notify CDPU immediately if you suspect measles.
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Anyone exposed should watch for symptoms, isolate if sick, and call ahead before visiting a clinic.
Testing and isolation:
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Nose/throat swabs or first-catch urine are used for testing.
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People being tested should stay isolated until results are known or four days after rash starts.
Vaccination advice:
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People born since 1966 who haven’t had two doses of measles vaccine should get vaccinated.
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Children at 12 and 18 months, and infants 6–12 months travelling overseas, should also get vaccinated.
This outbreak shows that measles can still enter Tasmania. Quick reporting, public health action, and vaccination are key to preventing spread.
Launch of the Australian Centre for Disease Control
The Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) started on 1 January 2026. The CDC will provide national public health advice and help Australia prepare for future outbreaks.
Key points:
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The CDC will analyse disease data and provide guidance.
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It will work with states and territories to share disease information securely.
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Initially, only de-identified data will be shared, but linked data may be used in the future to understand trends.
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The CDC will focus on disease prevention, climate and health, environmental health, and pandemic readiness.
Tasmania will continue to manage local cases and outbreaks while contributing data to the CDC.
Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in 2025
Tasmania reported 71 non-foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks in 2025, mostly in childcare centres (45 outbreaks), aged care homes (18), and hospitals (4). These outbreaks affected 1,281 people, with 23 hospitalisations and three deaths in aged care homes.
Most outbreaks had unknown causes, though some were confirmed as norovirus. Early reporting helps public health teams stop further spread and protect vulnerable groups.
Digital Data Collection Improvements
In 2025, CDPU moved from paper forms to a digital system called the Health Clinical Suite (HCS) for reporting selected diseases.
Benefits so far:
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Higher completion rates from clinicians
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Faster turnaround for case reports
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Better quality data with fewer errors
This helps Tasmanian health teams respond more quickly to disease outbreaks. Clinicians are encouraged to keep using the new system.
Summary of Disease Notifications
In 2025, Tasmania saw notifications across bloodborne, enteric, respiratory, sexually transmitted, vaccine-preventable, vector-borne, and zoonotic diseases. Highlights include:
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COVID-19: 2,978 cases
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Influenza: 9,344 cases
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RSV: 3,063 cases
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Measles: 3 cases
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Norovirus-related gastroenteritis: 17 outbreaks
For more detailed information, visit the Tasmanian Department of Health website or the CDPU Bulletin.
Accessibility note: CDPU documents are available in accessible formats. For assistance, contact Public Health Services.
https://www.health.tas.gov.au/
Source: Communicable Diseases Prevention Unit, Public Health Services, Tasmanian Department of Health