Acute Communicable Disease (ACD) Program

Some diseases are reportable to the local public health department because the disease can cause serious (acute) illness, including hospitalization, disability, or death, and can spread (communicable) to others in the community if no actions are taken.

When someone in our community becomes sick from a reportable disease, the Acute Communicable Disease (ACD) Program shares important information with them right away to help protect their loved ones now and help prevent them from getting sick in the future. If their doctor cannot get a test to help diagnose the disease, we work with our public health laboratory to help with testing. We also answer questions or concerns about the disease and gather details about their illness to help protect others from getting sick, including their family and friends. That is why information from ill community members is so important. When a common activity or food item is mentioned by different people who are sick with the same disease, that information can help stop or prevent disease outbreaks.

The ACD Program respects the privacy of community members and all information is shared confidentially. When informing contacts or the community about a health risk, we do not reveal the identity of the ill to others in the community or to the media.

We can all take steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones from communicable diseases. Individuals can practice good hygiene, such as washing hands frequently or covering coughs/sneezes, and staying up to date with vaccines. For some diseases, good hygiene is not enough or there is no vaccine available. Additional steps are needed. The ACD Program works closely with schools, hospitals, restaurants, businesses, and other groups to protect the community from disease. Everyone plays a role in keeping our community safe and healthy.

• How Your Health Department Fights Disease Outbreaks