title: Pandemic planning at the coal face: responsibilities of the public health unit.
abstract: Responding to an infectious disease pandemic requires a coordinated approach from all essential services. Public health units across NSW will play an important role in a range of control activities. These include: surveillance, education, communication, case ascertainment, case management (excluding clinical management), infection control, contact tracing, monitoring contacts in home quarantine, surveillance at borders, epidemiological studies and immunisation. Public health units are currently planning for such an emergency and these plans will need to be tested and refined under simulated conditions.
authors.affiliation: Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Area Health Service.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eastwood
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Durrheim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001717:Birds; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011635:Public Health Administration