Communicable Disease
SJBPH’s Communicable Disease team investigates infectious diseases that can be spread in a variety of ways: from one person to another, from an animal to a person, or through eating contaminated food and water. Bacteria and viruses most often cause communicable diseases, and this may happen through:
- direct contact with a person who is contagious
- contact with blood and other body fluids
- inhaling contaminated droplets from another person’s cough or sneeze
- receiving a bite from an animal or insect carrying the bacteria or viruses
- consuming contaminated water or foods
By law, certain diseases must be reported to public health agencies from health care providers and laboratories to keep the illness from spreading. These diseases are referred to as Reportable Diseases. When these diseases are reported to the health department, we work to determine where a person got sick and to prevent further spread of illness. We also work to prevent the occurrence of diseases in our communities through education.
The Regional Epidemiologist collects and reports disease information according to the Colorado Board of Health Rules and Regulations.
We provide recommendations and best practices to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. This may include recommendations for:
- Isolation, quarantine or avoiding exposure to others
- Treatment
- Contact tracing or notifications of exposures
- Cleaning and disinfecting
- Vaccines or prophylaxis treatment
The Communicable Disease team works with our Environmental Health staff for water (e.g. swimming pool), food (e.g. point sources such as restaurants), and vector-borne (e.g. insects, rodents carrying plague, rabies, or typhoid) communicable disease responses.
Reporting Diseases
By law, certain diseases that have public health consequences must be reported to public health agencies from health care providers and laboratories to keep the illness from spreading.
Reporting Outbreaks
San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) investigates disease outbreaks in long-term care facilities, childcare facilities, businesses, restaurants and other group settings. We attempt to identify the cause of the outbreak and provide recommendations for disease control measures. To report an outbreak or suspect outbreak call our Communicable Disease Program at 970-335-2004 or emailing cd@sjbpublichealth.org.
Food Borne Illnesses
If you feel you have acquired a food borne illness, contact our EH Team: eh@sjbpublichealth.org.
Prevention
Animal-related (zoonotic) diseases are diseases that affect both humans and animals. SJBPH’s goal it to protect residents from bacterial and viral diseases transmitted by mammals, mosquitos, ticks, and fleas. Some of these diseases have long been present in the State of Colorado while others have recently emerged. These diseases are hantavirus, plague, rabies, tularemia, and West Nile virus.
SJBPH would like to remind residents to be rabies aware, not just for themselves but for their pets as well. Any wild mammal, such as raccoon, skunk, fox, coyote, or bat can have rabies and transmit it to people or domesticated animals through a bite. Bats are by far the most common carriers of rabies in Colorado including La Plata and Archuleta counties. Bats should never be in your home; if a bat is present in your home, it should be safely captured and tested for rabies.
Reporting Animal Bites
The Communicable Disease team works closely with providers, hospitals, and animal control partners to assess human and domestic pet exposure to rabies reservoir species. Animal bites are a reportable condition and must be immediately reported to public health.
Travelers also might be exposed to canine rabies in certain other countries. Vaccinating pets, avoiding contact with wildlife, and seeking medical care if one is bitten or scratched by an animal are the most effective ways to prevent rabies. Understanding the need for timely administration of Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent death is critical.
To report an animal die-off or a diseased rodent, call 970-335-2004.
Zoonotic Diseases in Our Area
Rabies is a fatal but preventable viral disease. It can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. Rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Read more from the CDC.
Hantavirus affects the lungs and is spread to people by infected rodents, especially the deer mouse. Infection can lead to a serious complication that is fatal about 40% of the time. Read more from the CDC.
Plague is a disease that affects humans and other mammals and is caused a bacterium. Humans usually get plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the bacterium, or by handling an animal infected with plague. Read more from the CDC.
Tularemia is caused by a bacterium. Also known as “rabbit fever,” tularemia is most often found in rabbits, rodents, and hares, and can be carried by ticks, deer flies, horse flies, and mosquitoes. Read more from the CDC.
West Nile virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. There are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat West Nile virus in people. While many who are infected do not feel sick, about 1 in 5 develop a fever and other symptoms. About 1 out of 150 infected people develop a serious, sometimes fatal, illness. Read more from the CDC.
Remember, it is not uncommon to find dead animals or birds. Animals and birds die every day from natural causes, predators, or disease. It is important to report suspicious deaths to your local health department so that they can be documented, and a decision made to determine if a test is necessary to determine if the cause of death is associated with a zoonotic disease.
The Communicable Disease team investigates cases of reportable diseases and suspected outbreaks according to standard protocols and guidance provided by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The Communicable Disease Response Team provides 24/7 on-call disease reporting. Call 970-335-2004 during office hours, or, for after-hours response, call SJBPH's main number at 970-247-5702 and select option 1.