The Douglas County Health Department is notified by providers or labs when a resident tests positive for a reportable illness. Reporting is required by law.
You may be called by a disease intervention specialist or epidemiologist if you test positive for a reportable illness. They will ask for information about your experience with illness and possible exposures. Calls may last 15-30 minutes. In these calls, staff will:
- Provide information about your illness and ways to prevent further spread
- Try to learn how you became sick
- Identify exposed people if appropriate
Information from interviews helps public health staff prevent additional illness in the county. Environmental health staff may conduct restaurant inspections if the illness was connected with food prepared outside your home.
Your willingness to talk with health department staff helps keep our residents healthy! All information you share is kept confidential and will not be shared outside of public health.