In each issue of the Epigram, we are pleased to introduce you to a member of the Disease Prevention and Response team at SRHD. In this issue we feature our senior Epidemiologist, Mark Springer, DC. Mark works in our Communicable Disease Epidemiology program where he focuses on communicable disease investigation and intervention, emergency preparedness, and community education.
In an attempt to conserve resources and provide better convenience with timely updates, the SRHD Communicable Disease Resources and Reporting Manual is now online. Here you will find healthcare provider-specific resources for notifiable conditions, report forms, STD screening and treatment guidelines, tuberculosis testing information, immunization schedules, patient materials, and more.
Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), an expensive and time-consuming series of treatments, can often be avoided in situations where the animal is available for testing or observation. Rabies PEP is a medical urgency, not an emergency. PEP does not need to be started in most cases*
after an exposure, allowing time to determine if PEP is necessary based on the animal’s rabies status. Rabies testing can only be performed on the brain tissue of deceased animals.
Many providers assume laboratory reporting of notifiable conditions is automatic and comprehensive, eliminating the need for reporting from provider offices. While that is true in many instances, it is important to be aware of reporting requirements. Public health uses notifiable conditions information to aid in investigations, detect outbreaks, and for surveillance purposes, among other things.