Disease Prevention & Control
Infectious Disease Reporting
Physicians, health care facilities, medical laboratories, and in certain circumstances, veterinarians and veterinary medical laboratories are required to report disease to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) under Minnesota state law. Call 651-201-5414 or 1-877-676-5414 for more information.
Communicable Disease Follow Up
Often working in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Health, Rice County Public Health conducts or participates in the follow-up of reports of communicable disease occurring in Rice County.
Pertussis, or whopping cough, is a disease caused by a bacteria that affects the lungs. Pertussis is spread through the air in droplets produced during coughing or sneezing. The best way to prevent pertussis is for all children to be fully vaccinated on time and for adolescents and adults to get a booster shot. Pertussis incidence is increasing in Minnesota, with outbreaks occurring in a number of communities. For more information about pertussis, and up-to-date statistics for cases in Rice County visit the state's health website or view the Pertussis Fact Sheet (PDF).
Ebola is a disease caused by a virus and is one of a number of hemorrhagic fever diseases. There currently are no Ebola cases in Minnesota, and risk remains extremely low. Ebola is spread by direct contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected person who currently has symptoms of Ebola or who has recently died from Ebola.
For the most up to date information about Ebola, visit the Minnesota Department of Health website or the Centers for Disease Control website.