Through this service Communicable Disease staff members detect and track the spread of diseases.  This includes:

• Overseeing identification and enrollment of data sources such as hospital emergency rooms for disease tracking (via the NC Disease Event Tracking Epidemiologic Collection Tool, or NC DETECT)
  Training new system users
• Monitoring data daily for potential public health threats
• Investigating potential threats in collaboration with local and state public health partners
• Monitoring, analyzing and responding to communicable disease reports submitted through the North Carolina Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NCEDSS)

Communicable Disease staff members also help control diseases that are spread by animals (vectorborne diseases) and by spoiled or contaminated foods (foodborne diseases).  They do this by:

• Responding to and investigating foodborne and vectorborne disease outbreaks
• Informing health care providers and the public of the results of such outbreak analyses
• Educating health care providers and the general public on topics related to foodborne and vectorborne diseases 

Major activities of this service include:

• Provision of communicable disease surveillance to evaluate the impact of communicable diseases.
• Provision of consultation and education to local health department staff, healthcare providers and consumers regarding disease investigation and control strategies.
• Utilization of data from the Syndromic Surveillance system to monitor and respond to instances of widespread disease or injuries such as those resulting from hurricane or other weather-related risks or injuries.

The general public benefits from the monitoring and response to public health threats.