Communicable Diseases
Communicable Diseases
Benton County Public Health provides communicable disease services for everyone who lives, works, plays, and also learns in the County. The Communicable Disease Program works to control the rate of infectious illness by providing investigation, immunizations, and education.
By law, health care providers and laboratories must report specific infections to the local health department. Our team responds to disease reports by investigating possible sources of infection, providing information about confirming diagnosis and treatment, and preventing further spread of disease in the county.
Communicable Disease Investigators look into reports of infectious diseases occurring in residents of Benton County. If the resident lives in another county, that county’s public health department will do the investigation.
What We Do
- Investigate reports of disease outbreaks
- Education and Prevention
- Contact tracing
- Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Testing
- Data Management and reporting
What to Expect when a Communicable Disease Investigator Calls
Investigators start by speaking to person who is confirmed to have a disease, seeking to learn the source of the infection. We may offer education about the disease and ways to stop its spreading to others. We will also want to figure out who else may be exposed to the infection (called “contacts”). Depending on the disease, contacts may also get a call. We will let them know signs of the infection, what steps to take should they see the signs, or if they will likely need treatment. This is all done in a confidential manner to prevent the identification of persons involved.
This service is free. We will never ask for bank information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers, or anything else like that.
Communicable Disease Data
Click here to see Oregon Health Authority’s Communicable Disease Data Dashboard
