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 (713) 755-5050.

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.

TB Reporting Guidelines

State law requires health care professionals to report confirmed or suspected cases of TB within 1 working day. To report confirmed or suspected TB cases, call (713) 439-6214 or (713) 439-6215, or fill out TB Intake Form and fax to (713) 439-6391. 

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

File a Neighborhood Nuisance complaint

File a Swimming Pool Complaint

File a Public Food or Operations Concern

Report Food Poisoning