Reportable Communicable Diseases
A communicable disease is an infectious disease that can be spread from one person to another through a variety of ways. In certain situations, the most susceptible people are those who have not been immunized or are under-immunized, those with weakened immune systems (caused by stress, age, chronic illness, alcoholism, or homelessness), and those whose work or leisure activities put them at risk for disease. The Disease Control and Prevention Division of Chouteau County is responsible for investigating incidents of communicable disease, including those caused by food, water, animals, people, and insects. The public health staff investigates all reports of communicable diseases they receive from providers, nurses, and hospitals. These investigations help prevent communicable diseases from spreading through the community.
How these diseases spread depends on the specific disease or infectious agent. Some ways in which communicable diseases spread:
- Contact with a contaminated surface or object (Norwalk virus), food (salmonella, E. coli), blood (HIV, hepatitis B), or water (cholera).
- Physical contact with an infected person, such as through touch (staphyloccous), sexual intercourse (gonorrhea, HIV), fecal/oral transmission (hepatitis A), or droplets (influenza, TB).
- Bites from insects or animals capable of transmitting the disease (mosquito: malaria and yellow fever; flea: plague, bat: rabies).
- Travel through the air, such as influenza (flu), COVID-19, tuberculosis or measles.
Montana health-care providers are required by law to report cases of specific communicable diseases to their local health department. This enables public health officials to follow up on cases of significance and identify outbreaks or emerging health concerns.
COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations are offered in our office on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month from 3-5pm. Please call our office to schedule an appointment (406) 622-3771. Please visit the CDC webesite for current COVID-19 vaccination recommendations. Please contact us for any questions or concerns you may have.
For more information about COVID-19, Influenza or RSV go here.
Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or a respiratory virus should visit MT DPHHS for guidance, as well as the CDC's website for additional information.