Disease Surveillance - Fairfax County, Virginia

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FAIRFAX COUNTY
DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
AND BIOTERRORISM INFORMATION

Phone: 703-246-2433 TTY: 703-591-6435
e-mail link

Communicable Disease Information Line. Messages may be left 24 hours a day seven days a week. A nurse will retrieve messages and return calls as soon as possible. Phone Numbers and e-mail

Communicable Diseases
General information
Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV
Community-Associated MRSA Infections (Staph)
Child Care and MRSA Infections (Staph)
Tuberculosis
Norovirus - Winter Vomiting Disease

Emergency Preparedness
Planning
Medical Reserve Corps
Health Alerts, Advisory and updates
Important Links - Anthrax, Bioterrorist Agents, Emergency Management, Smallpox.

The Fairfax County Health Department is currently providing active syndromic disease surveillance through partnerships with the medical community and neighboring state health departments. Active disease surveillance includes daily contact with area hospitals, especially the emergency departments and hospital infection control practitioners, to monitor the chief medical complaints of patients seen in the local emergency rooms (ER). Any increase in unusual disease presentations would then alert the local and state health departments, as well the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to take prompt public health action. In addition, the Health Department is monitoring the number of hospital admissions from local emergency rooms. This activity provides the Health Department with a synopsis of the overall health of the community.

The entire public health system is on a heightened level of alert for any disease(s) that may occur as a result of a biologic attack. In the event of a public health emergency, local and state health departments will inform the public about actions individuals need to take. If the investigation of the cause of illness indicates a need for antibiotics, the Fairfax County Health Department, in conjunction with the CDC, will assure that medication is available. CDC has an emergency supply ready for local distribution.