Communicable Disease Program

OUR REQUIRED ACTIVITIES

NYS DOH requires reporting of certain communicable diseases.  The local health department is responsible for a communicable disease program designed to minimize the incidence and impact of communicable diseases.

Mandated activities include all disease-specific protocols established by NYSDOH:

• Conducting surveillance of communicable diseases;
• Investigating suspected or confirmed communicable diseases as reported by mandated reporters (providers, labs, schools, and others);
• Reporting public health communicable disease threats to NYSDOH;
• Verifying diagnoses and identifying sources of infections;
• Minimizing the spread of disease through early identification and prophylaxis of exposed persons;
• Maintaining the capacity to perform multiple simultaneous investigations; and
• Communicating [at least annually] with health care providers, clinics and laboratories about local data, diagnostic and treatment modalities and reporting requirements.

 In addition to these activities, we continually:

• conduct outreach and education about communicable diseases and incidence of diseases in Essex County,
• promote prevention strategies including immunizations for vaccine preventable diseases, and
• provide updates regarding ECHD programs and services to community partners and the community at large.

See these tabs for more information about our Communicable Disease Program including:

• Rabies prevention and control;
• Arthropod (tick and mosquito-borne) diseases;
• Immunizations (for vaccine-preventable diseases);
• Sexually Transmitted disease Testing (including HIV and Hep C); and
• Tuberculosis.