GCHD PHS Communicable Disease Investigations

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Under Ohio Administrative Codes, Sections 3701.3.02 and 3701.3.13, the Geauga County Health District requires that all disease reporters report suspected cases of illness and disease outbreaks. Reports made to the health district include the residents address or the location of a suspected outbreak.

To Report Illness/Disease Outbreaks:

Between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM Monday to Friday, except legal holidays:
     Call (440) 279-1926 to get in direct touch with the disease reporting
     personnel, OR fax the Northeast Ohio Communicable Disease
     Report 24 x 7 to: (440) 285-4305

     After office hours you can fax the Northeast Ohio Communicable
     Disease Report 24 x 7 to: (440) 285-4305

If the report requires immediate attention after hours, please contact the communicable disease reporting personnel by paging them at (440) 301-0080. If you get no response within 30 minutes, call the Geauga County Sheriff's Department at (440) 286-1234. They will contact a local health district official to address your report.

The level of urgency and method of reporting varies depending on the disease classification. Please refer to the Reportable Infectious Diseases in Ohio guide at http://www.odh.ohio.gov for the most complete and current list. Know your ABCs - A Quick Guide to Reportable Infectious Diseases in Ohio explains the following table in detail.

For detailed information, please refer to CDC - Diseases & Conditions

Class A
Report Immediately

Diseases of major public health concern because of the severity of disease or potential for epidemic spread - report by telephone immediately upon recognition that a case, a suspected case, or a positive laboratory result exists.

Anthrax	Rabies, human
Botulism, Food borne	Rubella (not congenital)
Cholera	SARS
Diphtheria	Smallpox
Influenza A - novel virus	Tularemia
Measles	Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
Meningococcal Disease	Yellow Fever
Plague

As well as any unexpected pattern of cases, suspected cases, deaths or increased incidence of any other disease of major public health concern, because of the severity of disease or potential for epidemic spread, which may indicate a newly recognized infectious agent, outbreak, epidemic, related public health hazard or act of bioterrorism.

A physician's office or hospital can report after normal business hours by dialing the 24 x 7 emergency illness / disease outbreak reporting pager at: (440) 301-0080.

Class B(1)
Report by the end of the next business day

Diseases of public health concern needing timely response because of potential for epidemic spread - report by the end of the next business day after the existence of a case, a suspected case or positive laboratory result is known

Class B(2)
Report by the end of the work week

Diseases of significant public health concern - report by the end of the work week after the existence of a case, a suspected case, or a positive laboratory result is known

Class C
Report by the end of the next working day

Report an outbreak, unusual incidence or epidemic (e.g., histoplasmosis, pediculosis, scabies, staphylococcal infections) by the end of the next business day

Outbreaks:
Community	Institutional
Foodborne	Waterborne
Healthcare-associated	Zoonotic

HIV or STD's

Cases of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), AIDS-related conditions, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection, perinatal exposure to HIV, and CD4 T-lymphocytes counts <200 or 14% must be reported on forms and in a manner prescribed by the Director of Health.

The following illness complaint and disease reporting forms are available in Microsoft Word and PDF. Select Microsoft Word if you have Microsoft Office and would like to complete the form on a personal computer. Select PDF to print and fill out the form for faxing to our office.

Illness / Complaint General Questionnaire     Microsoft Word   PDF
Use this form to report illness symtoms and exposures

Confidential Communicable Disease Report Microsoft Word    PDF
This report accompanies the General Questionnaire above when an individual has a suspected,probable, or confirmed communicable disease

Food History Report              Microsoft Word    PDF
This report acconmpanies the General Questionaire above when the illness or complaint warrants a three to eight-day food history

Varicella Reporting Form                           Microsoft Word    PDF

Other helpful information:
Flowchart of Epi Reponse - How the Geauga County Health District Handles An Illness / Disease Outbreak Report

CDC - Diseases & Conditions

AGAIN: Please fax illness / disease outbreak reports 24 x 7 to: (440) 285-4305