Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008

Notifiable diseases and organisms

12 Lists of notifiable diseases and notifiable organisms

(1) In this Part—

• “notifiable disease” means a disease listed in Part 1 of schedule 1; and

• “notifiable organism” means an organism listed in Part 2 of schedule 1.

(2) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations amend a list in schedule 1 by—

(a) adding an item to the list;

(b) removing an item from the list;

(c) varying the description of an item in the list.

(3) Regulations under subsection (2) may add a disease or organism to a list only if the Scottish Ministers are satisfied that the disease or organism is likely to give rise to a significant risk to public health.

(4) The Scottish Ministers must, when considering whether a disease or organism is likely to give rise to such a risk, have regard—

(a) in the case of a disease, to—

(i) the seriousness of the disease; and

(ii) the ease of transmissibility through casual contact of the disease;

(b) in the case of an organism, to the seriousness and ease of transmissibility through casual contact of the disease which the organism would cause.