Main Service Areas

Communicable Disease Branch

The Communicable Disease Branch (CDB) is responsible for surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the territory. It is also responsible to prevent infectious diseases from being introduced or carried away from the territory. It consists of the Epidemiology Division, Surveillance Division and Port Health Division.

1. Epidemiology Division
   The Epidemiology Division maintains a comprehensive network of communicable disease notifications, conducts detailed epidemiological investigations on infectious disease outbreaks.
2. Surveillance Division
   The Surveillance Division serves to collect, collate, analyse and disseminate surveillance data on communicable diseases. It conducts surveillance on statutorily notifiable diseases and other infections of public health significance and coordinates the operation of a sentinel surveillance system that monitors the trends of influenza-like-illness, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, antibiotic resistance, acute conjunctivitis and acute diarrhoeal diseases in the community.
   The Surveillance Division also provides secretariat support to the Board of Scientific Advisers, Scientific Committee on Emerging & Zoonotic Diseases, Scientific Committee on Enteric Infections and Foodborne Diseases, Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Scientific Committee on Vector-borne Diseases
   Please visit the Centre for Health Protection website for more information on communicable diseases, including related health topics, statistics, recommendations, guidelines, publications, etc.
3. Port Health Division
   The Port Health Division enforces the provisions of Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599) and International Health Regulations and implementation of other related public health actions to prevent infectious diseases.