What is Epidemiology?

Epidemiology is the branch of medical science that investigates all the factors that determine the presence or absence of diseases and disorders. Epidemiology helps us to understand how many people have a disease or disorder, if those numbers are changing, and how it affects our society.

Here at Carson City Health and Human Services, epidemiologists track diseases in our community as well as in neighboring Lyon and Douglas Counties. We receive and follow up on notifications o any reportable diseases, investigate reports of disease outbreaks and, if necessary, interview people who are sick to try and determine how they got sick and also if they may have passed the illness on to others.

Knowing how people get sick can help us to make our community a safer place and plan ways to prevent illness in the future.

Report Disease/Exposure

Report disease/exposure to disease to the disease control and prevention division at 775-887-2190; fax: 775-887-2138.

• View and Download the Disease Report Form (PDF)
• COVID Death Report

The Nevada Administrative Code and Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 441A requires reports of specified diseases, foodborne illness outbreaks and extraordinary occurrences of illness be made to the Local Health Authority. The purpose of disease reporting is to recognize trends in diseases of public health importance and to intervene in outbreak or epidemic situations.

Resources

• CDC website: Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases
• CDC website: Parasitic Diseases
• CDC website: Hepatitis Information Site
• CDC website: Head Lice Facts
• CDC’s Foodborne Infections Facts
• CDC’s Hepatitis information page

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