Communicable Disease Reporting
Reporting of the below diseases is required by Iowa Administrative Code (641), Chapter 1.
Why do communicable disease cases need reported?
Reporting of cases of infectious diseases and related conditions has been and remains a vital step in controlling and preventing the spread of communicable disease. These reports are useful in many ways, including assurance of provision of appropriate medical therapy (eg, for tuberculosis), detection of common-source outbreaks (eg, in food-borne outbreaks), and planning and evaluating prevention and control programs (eg, for vaccine-preventable diseases).
In the United States, the authority to require notification of cases of disease resides in the respective state legislatures.
Iowa Disease Surveillance System (IDSS)
The Iowa Disease Surveillance System (IDSS) enables local public health, hospitals, laboratories, and IDPH to collaborate electronically as they perform disease reporting and surveillance activities across the state. IDSS was first implemented in the Center for Acute Disease Epidemiology (CADE) in October 2008 and is now widely used by hospital, laboratories, and public health agencies statewide.
Centers for Acute Disease Control (CADE)
Center for Acute Disease Epidemiology (CADE) works to protect and preserve the health and safety of Iowans from infectious diseases through disease surveillance; investigation of acute outbreaks; education and consultation to county, local, and private health agencies on infectious diseases; immunization and vaccine guidelines; treatment after animal bites; and vaccines for international travel.
The center also provides consultation to county and local health agencies on diseases requiring public health intervention, collaborates with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by weekly reporting of nationally reportable diseases, and offers health education opportunities through lectures and organizational seminars.
Benton County Public Health
Once Benton County Public Health has been notified of a communicable disease case within county lines (the affected resident resides within Benton County), a member of our department will reach out to begin the case investigation. This investigation usually consists of a phone call approximately 15-30 minutes depending on the case, and the information gathered is used to determine a potential source for the disease. Examples of interview forms for each type of reportable case may be found within the CADE EPI Manual above. For more information on communicable disease reporting, please visit hhs.iowa.gov/public-health/center-acute-disease-epidemiology
