Communicable Disease Control
Recognizing our responsibility to protect the health of the community from risk of infectious diseases, a tracking, monitoring and prevention control program is used.
Contact Tracing and Quarantine for the Covid-19 Outbreak per the CDC and Missouri DHSS guidelines.
Consultation, investigation and control of communicable diseases involves daily data collection from selected sites in the county, investigation of all reported diseases for source of infection, and contacts are located and tested if necessary.
Medications for tuberculosis patients can be provided. Compliance with medication therapy is monitored and education related to disease process and prevention are provided to patients and family.
Contacts of tuberculosis patients are screened for the disease at no charge.
Screening for certain sexually transmitted infections is available at no charge.
Treatment for certain lab diagnosed sexually transmitted infections can be provided.
Reportable Disease:
The rules set forth by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in the Code of State Regulations (19 CSR 20) require notification to the local health authority (health department) upon first knowledge or suspicion of certain communicable diseases.
These communicable diseases are selected based on the characteristics that make them a threat to general public health and ability to infect others.
NOTE – Any disease that occurs as an outbreak is reportable, regardless of disease or condition.
Required reporters (from 19 CSR 20):
- A physician, physician’s assistant, nurse, hospital, clinic, or other private or public institution providing diagnostic testing, screening, or care related to listed diseases.
- Any person in charge of a public or private school, summer camp or child or adult care facility that identify the presence or suspected presence of any disease or findings related to listed diseases.
What do you report?
A case report shall include the following:
- Patient’s name, home address with zip code, date of birth, age, sex, race, and home phone number
- name of disease, condition or finding diagnosed or suspected, the date of onset of the illness, name and address of the treating facility (if any), and the attending physician.
- Any appropriate laboratory results, name and address of the reporter, treatment information for sexually transmitted diseases
This information can be captured on the state CD-1 form (see below for attachment).
Where do I report this information?
The CD-1 report should be reported to the appropriate jurisdiction of the patient. If the reporter sends the information to the jurisdiction where they are located, the information will be routed to the correct source.
For Ste. Genevieve County, this information can be faxed to:
573-883-5857
Attn: CD Control
All information is received by confidential fax. You can also call the health department directly to report.
STD/HIV:
The health department offers free education, counseling and testing for gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. HIV testing is provided with counseling before and after testing. Testing for these diseases is done by appointment. Results are held in the strictest confidence and will be given to the patient only – regardless of age.
Anyone with symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease or suspected that he/she may have been exposed to an STD can tested (if appropriate), and treated accordingly at the health department.
RAPID HIV/ HEP C TESTING is available free of charge. Results are given within 20 min. Please call for an appointment or to speak with a nurse regarding these tests.
TB Testing/ Treatment:
TB skin test are done by appointment on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. The charge is $20.00 and the individual tested must return to the health department to have the testing site checked 48 hours following the test.
Please contact us at 573.883.7411 for an appointment.
Medications for tuberculosis patients are provided by the health department with compliance monitored and education related to disease process/prevention given.
Contacts of tuberculosis patients are screened for the disease at no charge.
For more information on Tuberculosis, visit the CDC website.
Surveillance/ Investigations:
Ste. Genevieve County Health Department monitors communicable disease through the process of active and passive surveillance with the assistance from local health providers, hospitals, schools, and day care facilities.
Active Surveillance: Sentinel sites which give a representation of our county’s population are solicited weekly for illnesses and conditions occurring within that agency. This information gives an early indication of illness trends in our community and helps with outbreak identification.
Passive Surveillance: The Health Department receives notification of specified illnesses and conditions from agencies required to do so by law and within a predetermined time-frame. The ensuing case investigation serves to identify the disease origin and susceptible contacts.
Please contact us at 573.883.7411 for more information.