Disease Surveillance & Reporting

What Is Public Health Surveillance? 

Public Health Surveillance is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of health-related data that is used in public health practice. RCHD personnel work to gather both primary and secondary data, using active and passive surveillance methods. The health department works with partners throughout the community, including school districts, healthcare providers, and others to keep Riley Countians happy and healthy. 

School Surveillance 

RCHD has established a surveillance network with school districts throughout the county. Disease prevention and control efforts depend on school participation in reporting of illness and information sharing. RCHD provides schools with a School Surveillance form for staff to complete when children miss school due to illness. These forms help RCHD stay informed of what is happening in the community, and are completed on a weekly basis. A collection of newsletters can be found on the Reports and Research page. 

Syndromic Surveillance 

A key component of disease surveillance in Riley County is syndromic surveillance. RCHD utilized the tool ESSENCE (short for: Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Detection of Community-based Epidemics), a web-based disease surveillance information system developed to alert health authorities of infectious disease outbreaks. ESSENCE is a part of the larger National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP) Biosense Platform. In Kansas, the system compiles data form participating emergency departments. Select reports using syndromic surveillance data can be found on the Reports and Research page. 

Healthcare Provider Surveillance 

RCHD collaborates with healthcare providers in the community to report and investigate diseases. This collaboration is ongoing, and RCHD is always looking for more partners! 

24-Hour Reporting

Certain diseases must be reported to public health officials in the State of Kansas; a list of those can be found by clicking on this link: KS Notifiable Disease Form and List (pdf).  

To report diseases, contact the health department's 24/7 number for notifiable/reportable disease and public health emergencies: 785-317-0474.