What is a communicable disease?
An illness due to a specific infectious agent or it’s toxic products that arises through transmission of that agent or its products from an infected person, animal, or inanimate reservoir to a susceptible host; either directly or indirectly through an intermediate plant or animal host, vector or inanimate environment.
It is the passing of a bacteria, virus, protozoa or other agent from one person or reservoir to another, causing illness. This transmission can occur through direct transmission (hand shake, kiss, sneeze or cough) or indirect transmission (through contaminated food or water, etc).
What is being done to prevent communicable disease?
Lincoln County Health Department works with health care providers and medical laboratories to monitor the health status of our community and evaluate trends and illnesses that occur. If health trends or illnesses indicate an increase in a certain disease, the Health Department and Health Care Providers work together to determine the source and prevent the spread of the illness. This is done through education, intervention, and at times, enforcement.
The primary goal is to provide a healthy community in which we can live, work, and play.
Notifiable Conditions
Washington Administrative Code 246-101 requires health care providers and laboratories to report a number of illnesses/conditions that are diagnosed with laboratory confirmation to the local and state health departments. Once these reports are received at the Health Department, an epidemiological evaluation is conducted to help determine the source of the illness and take steps to prevent further spread.
WA State Dept of Health Notifiable Conditions