Communicable Disease

Preventing and controlling communicable diseases are core public health functions that protect our community and reduce the potential for illness and death among people of all ages. To do this, the Communicable Disease Program works closely with our health care provider partners to:

• Investigate notifiable conditions reported by health professionals, identify risk factors for disease, and provide education on how to prevent future infections.
• Conduct surveillance for notifiable conditions and describe disease trends.
• Investigate communicable disease outbreaks and recommend control measures to mitigate further spread.
• Serve as a consultant and technical resource to our health care provider community.
• Educate the public, policy makers and health care planners so they can make informed decisions.
• Build and manage partnerships with local and state authorities to effectively control the geographic spread of diseases.

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Health Alerts: Do you want to receive Skagit County Health Alerts, which inform providers about important health concerns in Skagit County? Email communicabledisease@co.skagit.wa.us to register.

Health care providers are our first line of defense for preventing and controlling communicable disease. The Communicable Disease Program is available to help providers with notifiable conditions as well as other conditions they are concerned about.

List of Notifiable Conditions and reporting instructions for:

• Health Care Providers
• Health Care Facilities
• Laboratories
• Veterinarians

Reporting Notifiable Conditions

To report notifiable conditions to Skagit County Public Health:

• Confidential fax reporting line: 360-416-1515
• Business hours phone line Monday through Friday (8:30am-4:30pm): 360-415-1500
• Urgent after-hours phone line (health professionals ONLY): 360-770-8852

What is a Notifiable Condition?
In Washington, healthcare providers, healthcare facilities, clinical laboratories and veterinarians are legally required to notify public health authorities at their local health jurisdiction of suspected or confirmed cases of selected diseases or conditions. These are referred to as notifiable conditions. State law requires that these conditions be reported in a timely manner so that Public Health can identify and control sources of infection. Additionally, Skagit County Public Health can facilitate testing for some diseases at the Washington Public Health Lab.

In addition to the list of conditions notifiable statewide, Skagit County Board of Health requires health care providers, health care facilities, EMS, and firefighters to report opioid overdoses to Public Health within 72 hours of the incident. Reporters can use the Opioid Overdose Report Form or call with the information required. To learn more about the purpose, legal basis, and intent for this reporting, please read our FAQs:

• FAQ for Health Care Providers about Opioid Overdose Reporting
• FAQ for EMS and Fire about Opioid Overdose Reporting

More information on the opioid crisis and the work being done can be found on the Skagit County Opioid Crisis page or at StopOverdose.org.

When reporting a notifiable condition, inform the patient that Public Health will be following up with them directly. If the patient is infectious to others, provide education on how to prevent the spread of disease to family, friends, or the public (e.g. isolation for a certain amount of days, no sharing food or water, no cooking for others, no sexual contact for 7 days following treatment, etc).

Other Resources for Healthcare Providers

• COVID-19 Resources for Providers
• STD Treatment Guidelines
• Measles Resources for Providers
• Mumps Resources for Providers
• Rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis Instructions
  (Consultation with Public Health is strongly recommend prior to initiation of PEP)
• Health Care Provider TB Toolkit
• Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) Treatment Guidance; one-page quick reference version

Training Resources

• TB ECHO
• TB 101 for Health Care Workers
• STD Clinical Consultation Network

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Vaccines are one of the most important and effective tools against communicable diseases. Since vaccines were introduced, the number of people sick with these diseases has decreased.

Though greatly reduced in the United States, these diseases have not gone away entirely and can be found in other parts of the world. A person can travel from one corner of the globe to another in less than a day. Diseases can travel just as fast.

Vaccines don’t just protect yourself; they also can protect the people around you, including those in your family or the community who are vulnerable to complications of infection because they are unable to be vaccinated.

It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it after it occurs. Vaccines are an effective, safe, and easy way to help keep your family healthy.

How do vaccines protect a community?

 

 

 

 

Use the following links to find information on vaccination for you and your family:

Access your family's vaccination records	School and childcare immunization requirements	Vaccines for Children Program	CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Finder
Vaccines for Children Birth-6 years	Immunizations for Travel	Vaccines for Adolescents 7-18 years	CDC Vax View
	Vaccines for Adults	School Immunization Data - WA DOH

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K-12 school and childcare providers are key public health partners in Skagit County. The following resources can help providers navigate the most common communicable disease issues in schools and childcare settings and provide control tools and links to reporting outbreaks to public health. If you have any questions or need further information, please call the Communicable Disease Division at 360-416-1500.

Primary resource for communicable diseases in schools: OSPI School Infectious Disease Control Guide

Washington State Department of Health General Resources for Schools

COVID-10 Resources

COVID-19 Symptom and Exposure Flowchart (WA DOH)

COVID Testing Resources (WA DOH)

Tools to improve ventilation to prevent COVID-19 (CDC)

COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Guidance (CDC)

Specific Disease and Prevention Resources

Chickenpox (Varicella) information (WA DOH)	Pertussis (whooping cough) information (WA DOH)	Influenza information (WA DOH)	Norovirus Toolkit (WA DOH)
Handwashing posters (CDC)	EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products Effective Against Norovirus	Safe Diapering in Childcare Settings	Food safety (WA DOH)
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

Reporting

What do we need to report? The list of notifiable conditions is found at the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) website: https://doh.wa.gov/public-health-healthcare-providers/notifiable-conditions/list-notifiable-conditions

When do we need to report? In general, cases of reportable conditions or outbreaks should be reported as soon as they are identified. Specific timelines from WA DOH are found on the reporting website: https://doh.wa.gov/public-health-healthcare-providers/notifiable-conditions/list-notifiable-conditions

How do we report? Call the Communicable Disease Division at 360-416-1500, Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm or fax a School Absenteeism Report Form to 360-416-1515.

Why do we need to report? Schools and child care facilities are required to notify the local health department of the presence of a contagious disease (WAC 246-110-020) or of suspected or confirmed outbreaks of notifiable conditions that may be associated with the facility (WAC 246-101-415 & 246-101-420). Schools are also asked to report when school absenteeism exceeds 10% of the student population.

Schools and childcare are allowed to report diseases or health concerns that pose a risk to student health and safety under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA 34 CFR § 99.36).

The goal of reporting is to prevent further spread of disease by implementing appropriate control measures. Once reported, Skagit County Public Health (SCPH) can offer guidance and can also help with drafting letters to notify parents, flyers, and other educational materials.

School Absenteeism Report Form

Possible RSV Exposure Notification Letter

School Chickenpox Report Form

School and Childcare Immunization information (WA DOH)

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What is Rabies?

Rabies is a severe viral disease that affects the central nervous system. It is almost always fatal once symptoms develop but can be prevented if treatment is given before symptoms appear. All warm-blooded mammals, including humans, are susceptible to rabies. For more information, visit the Washington State Department of Health and CDC rabies websites.

In Washington State, bats are the only known reservoir for rabies. The percentage of bats in the wild that are infected with rabies is very low (less than 1%). Though rabies is rare in bats, it is important to assess every human exposure to a bat carefully. Bat teeth are razor sharp and tiny, so a bite wound might not be noticed. If you know for certain you have been bitten or scratched by a bat, seek medical attention immediately. If you are unsure, call Public Health at 360-416-1500 for an assessment.

What should I do if I find a bat in my living space?

Do not touch the bat with bare hands. Close the room's doors and windows. Wait until the bat lands on the floor or a wall. Wearing leather or other thick gloves, capture the bat in a can or box without touching it. Seal the container and call Skagit County Public Health. Do not put the bat in a refrigerator or freezer. See the video “How to capture a bat in your home” below for more detail.

We will help you determine whether any people or pets in your home may have been exposed and can arrange to test the bat for rabies, if needed. What may seem insignificant to you might turn out to be serious enough for testing and treatment. If you know for certain you have been bitten or scratched by a bat, seek medical attention immediately.

How to avoid bat bites?

“Bat proof” your home by making sure open windows have screens and that other small entry points, such as cracks, crevices or holes, are sealed. Be suspicious of bat activity during daylight hours - it could indicate the bat is sick.

How to protect your pets from rabies?

Always vaccinate your pets, including dogs, cats, ferrets, horses and rodents. If your pet finds a dead bat, collect the bat in a plastic bag as you would pick up dog droppings – no bare hand contact. Should your pet come in contact with a bat or other animal that may be rabid, call Skagit County Public Health for current recommendations and call your veterinarian to be sure your pet's rabies vaccinations are up to date.

Do I need to report an animal bite?

If a health care provider suspects that an animal bite may involve the risk of rabies exposure, call Public Health immediately and fax the Bite Report Form to Public Health.  Public Health will determine the appropriate follow up with the person exposed and the animal.

8:30 am – 4:30 pm, M-F:  360-416-1500
After hours (health care providers ONLY): 360-770-8852

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Skagit County Public Health will release your medical information to you or any agency that you designate after receiving your completed Authorization for Exchange of Information application. Return the completed application to us along with the appropriate fee prior to us releasing your information.

Please contact Skagit County Public Health at (360) 416-1500 to determine the correct fee as our prices do vary. There is no fee for releasing medical records to doctor’s offices, or immunization records to schools.

Authorization for Exchange of Information application | Español

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