Communicable diseases are illnesses that can spread from person to person or from an animal to a person. These diseases can spread through a variety of ways, and common types of communicable diseases include foodborne illnesses, sexually transmitted diseases, insect-borne illnesses and vaccine-preventable diseases.

Clay County Public Health Center’s epidemiology program follows up on reports of communicable diseases in Clay County and helps to prevent these illnesses from spreading in the community. The epidemiology program also conducts communicable disease surveillance.

In public health, surveillance is the continuous collection and interpretation of health data to help serve as an early-warning to help prevent the spread of illness in the community. Currently, the epidemiology program has four surveillance systems and conducts a yearly report summary:

• Annual Communicable Diseases Summary Report
• School Syndromic Surveillance: Information collected on the symptoms children in schools are experiencing to track trends in the community.
• Daycare Syndromic Surveillance: Information collected on the symptoms children in daycares are experiencing to track trends in the community.
• ESSENCE Surveillance: Emergency room data monitored by the primary symptoms reported.
• Influenza Surveillance: Tracked confirmed cases of influenza in Clay County.

Communicable diseases have a significant burden on the health of Clay County residents. Fortunately, there are many ways the public can protect themselves and others from communicable diseases, including getting recommended vaccinations and washing your hands after using the restroom or touching anything. See here for more information about prevention and control of communicable diseases.

Communicable Disease Reporting

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services publishes a list of diseases that must be reported to local and state health officials. 

• Reportable Diseases List (PDF)
• CD-1 (Disease Report Form) (DOC)
• Instructions for completing the Communicable Disease Report Form (PDF)
• Influenza Reporting Form
• Animal Bite Report Form (PDF)
• Heat Related Illness Form (PDF)
• Tuberculin Testing Record- Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (PDF)

To submit reports to Clay County Public Health Center, fax reports to 816-595-4392.

Rules for Reporting Communicable Disease in Missouri

Reporting Rules for the State of Missouri: This is a portion of the Missouri State Regulation regarding the reporting of Communicable Diseases and who is required to report.

“(6) A physician, physician’s assistant, nurse, hospital, clinic, or other private or public institution providing diagnostic testing, screening, or care to any person with any disease, condition or finding listed in the in List of Reportable Diseases and Conditions or who is suspected of having any of these diseases, conditions, or findings, SHALL make a case report to the local public health authority or to the Department of Health and Senior Services, or cause a report to be made by THEIR DESIGNEE, within the time specified on the List of Reportable Diseases and Conditions. The physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse providing care…to any patient with any disease, condition or finding in the List of Reportable Diseases or Conditions may authorize…(a designee) to submit case reports on patients on patients attended by the physician, physician’s assistant or nurse. But under no other circumstances SHALL the physician, physician’s assistant or nurse be relieved of this reporting responsibility. (10) Information from patient medical records received by the local public health agency or the Department of Health and Senior Services in compliance with this rule is to be considered confidential records and not public records. (11) Reporters specified in Section (6) will not be held liable for reports made in good faith in compliance with this rule.”