Cook County Department of Public Health

Communicable Diseases

The CCDPH Communicable Disease Control unit works to prevent the spread of over 70 reportable communicable diseases. A communicable disease is an illness that is spread from person to person or from animal to person. Examples of communicable diseases include, but are not limited to, vaccine preventable diseases such as whooping cough (pertussis), measles and mumps; food borne illnesses such as salmonella and shigella; blood borne diseases like HIV/AIDS; and other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis. CD staff receive reports of illness in the community, interview people with disease, conduct follow-up investigations to determine the source of infection and provides interventions to prevent additional cases. Other functions of CD staff includes making recommendations for the treatment of cases and for prophylaxis of contacts, educating the public regarding disease transmission and providing timely and accurate information to the community and media as necessary, to avert outbreaks and misinformation.

Basic functions of the CCDPH Communicable Disease Control Program include:

• Investigating disease outbreaks
• Consulting with medical providers on diagnosis and control measures for specific communicable diseases
• Providing information and education to the public about disease risk and personal protection measures
• Collaborating with other local and state health departments to develop programs for emergency planning and response

Programs

• Reportable Diseases
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Enhanced Surveillance Unit
• Tuberculosis Program
• HIV Prevention, Care and Surveillance
• Immunization Program

Information for schools:

• MRSA
• Noroviruses
• Meningitis
  • Bacterial Meningitis Fact Sheet
  • Viral Meningitis Fact Sheet
• Hepatitis A