Communicable Disease Control
Communicable Disease program staff work to prevent the spread of disease by investigating cases and outbreaks of disease, promoting vaccination, participating in public health education initiatives, and planning for infectious disease emergencies. Services provided by the Communicable Disease program include:
- Alerting the public and healthcare providers when there is an outbreak
- Providing informational materials and guidance on disease control and abatement
- Surveillance, investigation, and tracking of reported communicable diseases
- Collaboration with hospitals, physicians, and laboratories in reporting diseases
- Education and information to the professional and lay communities
- Provide support and investigation of biological or chemical threats
Physicians, school administrators and child care operators, medical facilities, and operators of restaurants and other food or drink establishments (G.S. § 130A-135 through 130A-139) must report cases or suspected cases of reportable diseases to their local health department, which in turn reports this information to the N.C. Division of Public Health (G.S. § 103A-140).
- List of Reportable Diseases in North Carolina
*Required notification times are effective from the time that a reportable condition is reasonably suspected to exist and range from immediate to seven days, depending on the disease. Immediate reporting is required for potential bioterrorism-related diseases such as anthrax and botulism; severe or highly communicable diseases such as cholera and cryptosporidiosis must be reported within 24 hours of diagnosis; other conditions such as mumps and chlamydia, have a seven-day reporting timeframe. - For further guidance on which diseases are reportable and their respective reporting timelines, please visit the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services website at https://epi.dph.ncdhhs.gov/cd/report.html
Report A Disease:
For Diseases Reportable within 24 Hours:
Telephone reports are requested within 24 hours for diseases of unusual significance, incidence, or occurrence that may merit an epidemiological evaluation including foodborne and waterborne outbreaks where a common source is suspected.
For diseases and conditions required to be reported within 24 hours, the initial report should be made by telephone to the Communicable Disease program staff at 828-894-8271.
The North Carolina Public Health Epidemiologist On-call is also available 24/7 for communicable disease concerns and medical provider consultation at 919-733-3419.
A NC Communicable Disease Reporting Form should also be completed and faxed to 828-894-8678.
For Diseases Reportable Within 7 Days:
NC Communicable Disease Reporting Form should be completed and faxed to the Division of Public Health at 828-894-8678.