REPORTINGClinical Services | Disease Investigation
Disease Investigation
 |
Disease
Detectives |
When certain infectious illnesses hit more than one person in a community, neighborhoood, school, workplace, etc., over a short time period, doctors and medical labs call the Panhandle Health District's epidemiology department.
Epidemiologists are disease detectives. They investigate all angles of an illness to try to find a common source. If they can find the source, their chances of controlling the spread of the illness are good.
All reportable diseases in the five northern counties go through PHD's epidemiology department. Epidemiologists chart where reportable diseases hit and how often. Here's a look at disease in the five northern counties in 2010: