HCPH Disease Surveillance Section activities include:

• Routine investigation of Notifiable Conditions in Texas
• Investigation of emerging or re-emerging diseases of public health significance
• Recognition and investigation of disease outbreaks
• Recommendation and/or implementation of appropriate public health interventions as needed
• Provision of information on specific diseases to general public, schools and medical community
• Reporting on disease activity

Who is Required to Report?

Reporting is crucial for disease surveillance and detection of disease outbreaks and trends. State law (Health and Safety Code Chapters 81, 84, and 87) mandates health professional to report certain diseases and injuries to the health department (state, regional, local). These diseases and injuries are known as "notifiable conditions".

Health care providers, hospitals, laboratories, schools, and others are required to report patients who are suspected of having a notifiable condition(Chapter 97, Title 25, Texas Administrative Code).

What is Required to be Reported?

The diseases and conditions in the list are reportable in Texas. These conditions should be reported to your local health department upon suspicion.  Your local health department could provide guidance regarding appropriate testing and control measures. Each reported case will be investigated and forwarded to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Infectious Disease Control Unit.

How to Report?

To report a suspect case of any Notifiable Condition complete the HCPH Morbidity Report Form and fax to the Epidemiology Program (Confidential fax number: (713) 439-6306).

For conditions requiring immediate notification, call the Epidemiology Program at (713) 439-6000 and ask for the Epidemiologist on duty. For conditions requiring immediate notification AFTER normal business hours, call (832) 927-7575.

Your office may be contacted for additional information. For additional disease specific surveillance forms, visit the Texas Department of State Health Services website: Disease Specific Supplemental Surveillance Forms.

Please note: Dead birds must meet testing criteria. Dead birds (dead for less than one day, no signs of trauma and no ants or maggots) being submitted for testing for West Nile virus will be accepted at HCPH Mosquito and Vector Control, Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm.

HCPH Mosquito and Vector Control Division is located at 3330 Old Spanish Trail (OST), Houston, Texas 77021 Southeast corner of Hwy 288 and OST, (Building D)

Please use the OST entrance (front gate) which is only accessible to eastbound OST and northbound Hwy. 288 feeder traffic.

For those unable to drop off dead birds, HCPH Mosquito and Vector Control Division will pick up all testable dead birds, regardless of species, from all areas of Harris County.

If the bird cannot be reported or picked up right away, wear gloves to double-bag the bird and place it in a refrigerator or ice chest that is not used for food. If that is not possible, wear gloves to double-bag the bird and cover it with ice until it is picked up.

If testing is not required, wear gloves to double-bag the dead bird and dispose of it in the trash.

Wild birds may carry diseases that are contagious to humans. Therefore, only by using appropriate precautions should people handle sick, injured or dead wildlife. Window and domestic cat-kills are still the main cause of bird deaths around our homes and communities.

Request and inspections for mosquito breeding

Harris County Mosquito and Vector Control Division (MVCD) is dedicated to protecting the public from vector-borne disease. A vector is a living organism, including arthropods such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and kissing bugs, that can cause disease and illness through blood feeding on humans and animals. 

• Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness. 
• Kissing bugs can transmit Chagas disease.
• Fleas can transmit Murine Typhus, Plague, and Tapeworms. 

Snap. Send. Solve the question: Have you found a disease vector in OUR COMMUNITY?

To support the submission and identification process, please submit a well-lit, clear photograph of the arthropods found, along with the completed submission form to [email protected]. 

MVCD accepts any ticks, kissing bugs, or fleas that community members may find in their environment for identification and testing. All services are free of charge, but all must 1) be found inside Harris County limits, and 2) have not been attached to a human. 

**For arthropod specimens that were attached to a human, please contact MVCD at 713-440-4800 for guidance. 

Reporting Results: All submitted specimens will be identified to determine species, life stage, and sex. All ticks will be tested for the presence of pathogenic agents of Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Rickettsia genera. All kissing bugs will be tested for the presence of the Trypanasoma cruzi parasite. All fleas will be tested for the presence of the pathogenic agent Rickettsia typhi. Results and further testing will be communicated to the submitter. MVCD will contact the submitter via the preferred method of communication within 2-3 weeks of receiving submission. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. Does the vector I found have to be dead? All specimens can be dead or alive upon receipt. We kindly ask that you place them in a secure container to prevent release. They may be placed in a freezer or dry location until transferred to MVCD. 
2. The tick was attached to my dog; can I submit it? Yes! The only ticks we do not test are those that have been attached to a human, for any period of time. 
3. I do not have any supplies to ship a tick, what can I do? You are welcome to request an on-site visit from our Vector Surveillance team for pick-up. We also provide tick collection submission kits if you would like to have just in case.
4. When can I expect results? Please allow 2-3 weeks for testing results to be finalized. We may communicate to the submitter if this timeframe increases or decreases. 
5. What do I do if it is positive for vector-borne disease? Our testing program is for surveillance of vector species and pathogen presence in the county. We cannot recommend any medical advice for your pets. However, we can provide preventative guidance and education. 
6. If you develop any symptoms or suspect a bite from a tick, kissing bug, or flea, do not wait for results. Please contact your primary care physician for more information. 

File a Neighborhood Nuisance complaint

File a Swimming Pool Complaint

File a Public Food or Operations Concern

Report Food Poisoning