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NC Department of Health and Human Services
NC Division of Public Health
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About Us

Surveillance Units

In order to prevent the spread of disease and improve health, North Carolina law requires that certain communicable diseases be reported to local health departments, who in turn report them to the state health department. Timely and complete reporting helps ensure that prevention and intervention activities reach the right people. Good reporting also helps public health and community programs get needed resources. Learn more about communicable disease surveillance and reporting.

Reportable diseases monitored by the HIV/STD Surveillance Unit (HSSU) and Medical Consultation Unit (MCU) are listed in North Carolina's Administrative Code, 10A.NCAC 41A.0101 External link. The local health departments report this information to the N.C. Division of Public Health via the N.C. Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NC EDSS). The HSSU and MCU, in conjunction with the Surveillance Systems Unit (SSU), combine the data into reports and provide this surveillance information to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Surveillance data are used in making decisions about appropriate public health actions on local, state and national levels.

The HSSU and SSU work with both the MCU and the Communicable Disease Field Services Unit to:

  • Collect, report and analyze communicable disease data and detect trends;
  • Improve the surveillance of all reportable communicable diseases in North Carolina;
  • Facilitate investigation, intervention and prevention activities;
  • Provide for follow-up investigations of cases of special epidemiological significance;
  • Analyze and disseminate HIV/AIDS/STD surveillance data;
  • Evaluate HIV/AIDS/STD case reporting; and
  • Maintain patient registries and ensure patient and record confidentiality/security.

North Carolina reportable disease data are available in Communicable Disease Facts & Figures; national data are available on the CDC's website External link.

 

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