Communicable Disease

Investigations

Local Health Departments are required by law to investigate and follow-up all suspected or confirmed communicable diseases or conditions. In North Carolina, there are 66 reportable diseases or conditions for which investigation and follow-up are required. Investigation and follow-up includes:

  • Identifying the source of the infection, if possible
  • Implementing control measures to prevent the spread of infection
  • Assuring adequate treatment of persons with infection to minimize spread

For more information on Communicable Diseases, go to the CDC website or call the Cherokee County Health Department's Communicable Disease Nurse at 828-837-7486.

Tuberculosis

Testing for TB, required by many employers, is available on a walk-in basis at the Murphy Clinic on Monday and Tuesday. Testing is free for persons who are contacts to active TB cases, symptomatic, and/or HIV positive. For others, the cost is $12.

The Health Department also provides treatment and follow-up for persons with TB infection or disease. Included in the follow-up is contact tracing of persons identified as having been exposed to an infectious TB case. Medications to treat TB are provided at no charge. View more information on tuberculosis, including a link to the North Carolina TB Policy Manual.

Prevention

Many of the vaccines to prevent these diseases are available at the Health Department (see Immunizations). Following immunizations, the most effective way to prevent transmission of communicable diseases is adequate hand washing.

Communicable Diseases

The diseases in bold are diseases that can largely be prevented through immunization. Communicable diseases include:

  • AIDS
  • Anthrax
  • Botulism
  • Brucellosis
  • Campylobacter
  • Cholera
  • Chlamydia
  • Cryptosporidiosis
  • Cyclosporiasis
  • Dengue
  • Diphtheria
  • E-coli shiga toxin-producing infection
  • Ehrlichiosis
  • Encephalitis (arboviral)
  • Foodborne disease
  • Gonorrhea
  • Hantavirus
  • Hemolytic uremic syndrome
  • Hemophilus influenza invasive disease
  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C, acute
  • HIV
  • Influenza death (less than 18 year old)
  • Legionellosis
  • Leprosy
  • Leptospirosis
  • Listeriosis
  • Lyme disease
  • Lymphogranuloma Venereum
  • Malaria
  • Measles
  • Meningitis, pneumococcal
  • Meningococcal disease
  • Monkeypox
  • Mumps
  • NGU (other than lab-confirmed chlamydia)
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Plague
  • Polio
  • Psittacosis
  • Q fever
  • Rabies (human)
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
  • Rubella
  • Salmonellosis
  • SARS
  • Shigellosis
  • Smallpox
  • Staph Aureus reduced susceptibility to vancomycin
  • Streptococcal infection; group A, invasive disease
  • Syphilis
  • TB
  • Tetanus
  • Toxic shock syndrome
  • Toxoplasmosis (congenital)
  • Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (CJD/vCJD)
  • Trichinosis
  • Typhoid
  • Typhus
  • Tularemia
  • Vaccinia
  • Vibrio infection
  • Viral hemorrhagic fever
  • Yellow Fever
  • Whooping Cough (Pertussis)