Sweetwater Nolan County Health Department Public Health - Promoting Health Preventing Disease  
301 East 12th St. Sweetwater, Texas 79556 (325) 235-5463
 
Epidemiology
Home Page
Staff Directory
Privacy Notice (English/Spanish)
Immunizations
TB
Family Planning
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Community Wellness Program
Environmental Health
Epidemiology
Public Health Prepardness
Training Calendar
Water Laboratory
Articles
Links
[External Link] Resource Inventory
Contact Us


Epidemiology

Services provided include:

  • Collection and Reporting of data associated with reportable diseases.
  • Works closely with medical providers in the Nolan, Scurry, Fisher, & Mitchell County areas to prevent and control the spread of communicable diseases.
  • Monitor trends that might indicate a biological or chemical threat

FAQ's about Communicable Disease Reporting and Surveillance

  1. Why report?  Several Texas laws require that certain conditions be reported to the state or local health department (the Sweetwater-Nolan County Health Department).
    1. The Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Act (Health & Safety Code, Chapter 81)
    2. Article 97, Title 25, Texas Administrative Code
      All reports and sources of reports are strictly confidential.
  2. Who is responsible for reporting communicable diseases?
    • Physicians, dentists, veterinarians, chiropracters
    • Hospitals and hospital laboratories
    • School authorities, including a superintendent, principal, teacher, school health official or counselor
    • Any person having knowledge of a suspected reportable condition
  3. How long can I wait to report?  The sooner a disease is reported, the better. Timely reports enable:
      • Early outbreak detection
      • Identification of risk factors
      • Intervention to interrupt spread of disease
      • Implementation and assessment of control factors
      • Determination of extent of morbidity/mortality
      • Dissiminating of information
      • Planning for the future
  4. Where do I report a suspected reportable condition?

    Call...

    The Sweetwater-Nolan County Health Department Surveillance at (325) 235-5463

    All information is confidential including the source of a communicable disease report.
    • What is reportable? Confirmed or suspected cases of the following and any outbreaks, exotic disease, or unusual group expression of illness:
    Conditions Immediately Reportable

    Anthrax

    Botulism, foodborne

    Controlled Substance Overdose

    Diphtheria

    Haemophilus influenzae type b infections,

    invasive

    Lead, adult blood, any level

    Lead, child blood, any level

    Measles (rubeola)

    Meningococcal infections, invasive

    Plague

    		 Poliomyelitis, acute paralytic
    Rabies, human
    Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
    Smallpox
    Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant (VISA and VRSA)
    Tularemia
    Viral hemorrhagic fever
    Yellow fever

     

    Conditions Reportable Within One Working Day

    Brucellosis

    Hepatitis A (acute)

    Influenza-associated pediatric mortality

    Pertussis

    		Q fever
    Rubella (including congenital)
    Tuberculosis
    Vibrio infection, including cholera

     

    Conditions Reportable Within One Week

    AIDS (use STD form)

    Amebiasis

    Arbovirus infection

    Asbestosis

    Botulism, infant, wound, and other

    Campylobacteriosis

    Chancroid (use STD form)

    Chickenpox (varicella)

    Chlamydia trachomatis infection (use STD

    form)

    Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

    Cryptosporidiosis

    Cyclosporiasis

    Cysticercosis

    Dengue

    Ehrlichiosis

    Encephalitis (specify etiology)

    Escherichia coli, enterohemorrhagic

    Gonorrhea (use STD form)

    Hansen’s disease (leprosy)

    Hantavirus infection

    Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)

    Hepatitis B (acute and chronic) identified

    prenatally or at delivery

    Hepatitis B, C, D, E, and unspecified

    (acute)

    		 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (use STD form)
    Legionellosis
    Leishmaniasis
    Listeriosis
    Lyme disease
    Malaria
    Meningitis (specify type)
    Mumps
    Pesticide poisoning, acute occupational
    Relapsing fever
    Salmonellosis, including typhoid fever
    Shigellosis
    Silicosis
    Spotted fever group rickettsioses
    Streptococcal disease (group A, B, S. pneumo), invasive
    Syphilis (use STD form)
    Taenia solium and undifferentiated Taenia infection
    Tetanus
    Trichinosis
    Typhus
    West Nile Fever
    Yersiniosis

     

    Conditions Reportable Within 10 Work Days

    Drowning/near drowning

    Spinal cord injury

    		 Traumatic brain injury

     

    Conditions Reportable Within 1 Month

    Contaminated sharps injury

     

    Laboratories are required to report vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus species, and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae directly to the Texas Department of Health.

    Laboratories, blood banks, mobile units and other facilities in which a laboratory examination of a blood specimen is made are required to report patients with a CD4+ T lymphocyte cell count below 200 cells per microliter of CD4+ T lymphocyte percentage less than 14%

    To report a suspected or confirmed case of a condition listed above, contact :

    Tammy Tyrrell, R.N. - (325) 235-5463

    Source : Article 97, Title 25, Texas Administrative Code
    Contact Us | Sitemap | Home Page
    [External link] Texas Department of State Health Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    Sweetwater - Nolan County Health Department - 301 East 12th St. - Sweetwater, Texas 79556
    Phone: (325) 235-5463 - Email: swnchd@camalott.com
    www.nolancountyhealth.com