Communicable Disease Helpdesk

Communicable Disease Helpdesk (Formerly COVID helpdesk)

The Helpdesk continues to be available for advice and information about COVID-19 but has now expanded its remit to managing other infectious diseases, in line with the Department for Education’s requirements for public health management within educational settings. It will co-ordinate the response to any incidents or outbreaks of:

Cryptosporidiosis

Mpox

Diarrhoea and vomiting (gastroenteritis) including Norovirus - if high or rapidly increasing cases

Panton-Valentine Leukocidin Staphylococcus aureus (PVL-SA)

Diphtheria

Respiratory infections including COVID-19 – if high or rapidly increasing cases

E.coli O157 or E. coli STEC infection

Rubella (German measles)

Food poisoning

Scabies

Hepatitis (A, B and C)

Scarlet fever (if an outbreak or serious disease or co-circulating chicken pox)

Giardiasis

Septicaemia

Invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS)

Syphilis

Measles

Tuberculosis (TB) – if an active case

Meningitis

Typhoid and paratyphoid fever

Meningococcal meningitis

Although the risks of outbreaks of these infections linked to the workplace is likely to be very low, Departments are asked to contact the Helpdesk if they hear of a case amongst their staff, or if they observe a higher than normally experienced and/or rapidly increasing number of staff sickness absence due to acute respiratory infection or diarrhoea and vomiting. The Helpdesk will confirm current public health advice and seek further guidance from the UKHSA Health Protection Team as necessary.

  • Email:  CD-Helpdesk@admin.cam.ac.uk
  • Telephone: 01223 339514
  • If you are contacting us outside of our service hours (09:00 – 17:00, Monday - Friday) about an urgent communicable disease outbreak, please telephone: 07702 970136 or 07542307587.

Preventing communicable disease transmission and creating a healthy workplace July 2022

HSD215M (rev 1) Use of CO2 monitors for assessing ventilations November 2021