Preventive Health Services Administration Division of Disease Surveillance & Investigation
Location
Department of Health
Bureau of Epidemiology and Health Risk Assessment
825 North Capitol Street, NE
3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20002
Telephone: (202) 442-9374
Mission
To protect and monitor the health of District residents through surveillance, investigation prevention and control of diseases of public health importance.
Program Description
The Division of Disease Surveillance and Investigation (DDSI) is responsible for the surveillance, investigation and control of reportable diseases within the District, excluding sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis, AIDS and tuberculosis. The program collects, analyzes, interprets and disseminates data, and provides expertise and information on disease management. Data collected by Division investigators are reported weekly to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS). Case reports are received mainly from laboratories, and infection control practitioners in hospitals. Cases are investigated and specimens collected for analysis and diagnosis. Epidemiological data are monitored routinely to detect changes and potential outbreaks.
Goals/Core Functions:
To develop and operate efficient systems for surveillance and information exchange within the District of Columbia and at the national level.
To collaborate with District Infection Control Practitioners on surveillance and management of infectious diseases.
To conduct timely and thorough investigations of reported cases and outbreaks.
To design and implement epidemiological studies to address specific issues related to the prevention of diseases.
To generate statistical reports based on surveillance data for health professionals and the public.
To track and investigate any bioterrorism agents.
To track and investigate outbreaks of foodborne disease illness.
The Department of Health (DOH) must be able to rapidly detect and respond to disease events through a high functioning, mandatory reportable disease surveillance system, as evidenced by ongoing timely and complete reporting by providers and laboratories in a jurisdiction, especially of illnesses and conditions possibly resulting form bioterrorism, other infectious disease outbreaks, and other public health threats and emergencies.
The District of Columbia communicable disease regulations contain a list of reportable diseases that must be reported by healthcare providers:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Amebiasis
Animal bites
Anthrax
Aseptic meningitis syndrome
Botulism
Brucellosis
Campylobacteriosis
Chickenpox
Cholera
Coccidioidomycosis
Cryptococcosis
Dengue
Diarrhea of the newborn, infectious
Diphtheria
Dysentery, bacillary
E. coli 0157:H7
Encephalitis
Food/Waterborne Illness
German measles
Glanders
Haemophilus Influenza, Invasive
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
Hepatitis A, B, C, D, non A-non B
Influenza, confirmed
Legionellosis
Leprosy
Leptospirosis
Listeriosis
Lyme Disease
Malaria
Measles
Meningococcal infections
Mumps
Plague
Poliomyelitis
Psittacosis
Q-Fever
Rabies of man and animal
Relapsed fever, louse-borne
Rheumatic Fever
Ringworm of the Scalp
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Rubella (including congenital)
Salmonellosis
Shigellosis
Smallpox
Staphylococcal infections acquired in hospitals and in newborns
Streptococcal Pneumonia
Streptococcal infections, hemolytic (Group A)
Tetanus
Toxic Shock Syndrome
Trachoma
Trichinosis
Tuberculosis
Tularemia
Typhoid fever
Typhus fever
Vaccine Adverse Events
Venereal diseases, including chancroid, gonorrhea, granuloma inguinale, lymphogranuloma venereum, and syphilis
