The Scotland County Health Department conducts both passive and active surveillance for selected infectious diseases to determine the extent of occurrence in our population.
Passive Surveillance – In surveillance of this type, reports of selected diseases are sent to the Health Department by mandated reporters such as Physicians, Hospitals, Schools, or Laboratories.
Active Surveillance – The Health Department contacts a variety of sites on a weekly basis to collect information on disease occurrence at those places.
This program which seeks to identify, prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases is a cooperative effort of this agency, the Missouri Department of Health, Physicians, Hospitals, Schools, Laboratories and others. When cases of selected diseases are reported they are investigated by public health nurses. These investigations provide the necessary information to determine if a potential public health threat is present and helps in the decision as to what control measures should be implemented to address it. The Department serves as an informational resource for Health Professionals and the general public.
If you have any questions or need additional information please contact us. We’ll be glad to help.