The California Code of Regulations (Title 17) specifies diseases that are mandated to be reported by physicians and medical laboratories to Public Health authorities. When a rare or highly infectious disease is reported (such as measles or bacterial meningitis), a Public Health Nurse is assigned, in collaboration with the Health Officer, to investigate the case. The objective is to determine the source of infection and locate any other person who may have been exposed. Interventions may include antibiotics for persons who have been in contact with a known infectious disease, isolation or quarantine, and cooperation with the Environmental Health Division and the Public Health Laboratory to determine the origin of the infection. A Public Health Nurse is on-call each weekday to receive and respond to these reports, and a 24-hour response system is available after hours to provide Public Health support for physicians reporting diseases.
Phone: (707) 445-6200
