Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that cause disease. Infectious diseases can be spread from one person to another, directly or indirectly, through fluid exchange (such as blood or saliva), exposure to vectors (such as ticks or mosquitoes), or from the environment.
Bayfield County Health Department helps to provide information, tools, and resources to the public and health care partners for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. This includes infectious disease surveillance, epidemiology, data analysis, and assistance or referral for laboratory testing. It also includes disease reporting, contact and outbreak investigation and management, providing education to individuals and the community, as well as referral for treatment and support.
Find out more about different infectious diseases at the links below:
It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it after it occurs. Diseases that used to be common in this country and around the world--including polio, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), and more--can now be prevented by vaccination. Vaccinations have prevented countless cases of disease and saved millions of lives over the past century.
Find out more about Bayfield County's immunization program.