Infectious and Communicable Disease (CD) Investigation and Control

Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency
Infectious Disease Unit
25 N. Cottonwood Street, Woodland, CA 95695

Business Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Community/Public Health Main Line (530) 666-8643, Confidential Fax (530) 669-1549

After Business Hours (24/7) Contact the MHOAC at (530) 321-3620

Yolo County Press Releases Health Alerts (CAHAN)

List of Reportable Diseases Report a Disease

Report Another Type of Concern

Infectious Disease Investigation

Yolo County staff investigate individual reports of highly contagious, or communicable disease and take whatever steps are necessary to control outbreaks in the community. These staff ensure that the affected person and their close personal contacts are treated as necessary, develop programs to prevent future disease outbreaks, provide public and professional education and collaborate with other organizations at the State and Local level to control the spread of disease.

Once a reportable disease is reported, an investigation is started to:

Confirm the diagnosis and the original source of the disease
Verify the disease
Locate affected persons
Provide affected persons with information about the disease
Look for any common mode of transmission between affected persons
Provide affected persons and the public, if necessary, with information about the disease, including: symptoms, how diagnosis is confirmed, how the disease is spread, and how to prevent it.

Sometimes Infectious Disease staff work with other agency staff to control or stop an outbreak. For example, cases involving a restaurant or day care facility will require coordination response between the Communicable Disease staff and Environmental Health.

Outbreak Information

The Infectious Disease Unit will continually update this list when issuing advisories, alerts and press releases about county, state, and national outbreaks that have potential to impact visitors and residents of Yolo County.

Disease Information

View the complete list of reportable diseases.

Yolo County Infectious Disease Unit offers additional information on the following diseases:

Additional services provided by the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency that you may also be interested in include:

Reports

Communicable Disease FAQs

Expand/Contract Questions and Answers

Can't I just tell my partner(s) myself?
You can tell your partners yourself, but many people find this difficult. Your partner will also need information about the disease and other information about testing that you may not know.

HHSA staff can talk with you about how to tell your partners, and can practice these discussions with you. Staff can also talk about the reasons why you may not want to notify your partner(s) yourself. People sometimes get angry or confused when they are told that they have been exposed to an STD/HIV. Staff are trained in how to handle these situations.
How do I know which, if any, of my partner(s) may have been exposed to an STD or HIV?
HHSA staff will talk with you about the STD/HIV that you were diagnosed with, and when a person is most likely to spread that particular STD/HIV. Based on this, the staff will focus on identifying any sex or needle-sharing partners that you may have had sex or shared needles with during this time period. These partners are more likely to need to be tested or treated.
I don't want to involve my steady partner in this because I don't want to break up. Do I need to tell (or have someone from HHSA notify) him or her?
You should think about your partner's health. Telling your steady partner or spouse can be difficult. It is a very hard issues for many people. If your partner is infected, they may find out anyway - either by getting tested or by getting sick from the infection.

Your steady partner or spouse should be notified to protect their health. Notifying any partners that you still have sex with is very important. Treating your current sex or needle-sharing partners will also help reduce the risk of you getting infected again.

A recent research study found that sex partners of infected person who received services were less likely to end the relationship, compared to couples who did not receive services. HHSA staff are very experienced and can help you think through how to approach your situation.
I just got a call from someone at Yolo County Health & Human Services Agency. How do I know that this isn't a prank?
California has public health regulation and program sin place to help reduce and eliminate the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV. Health and Human Services staff are assigned to follow-up on reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. In order to this, staff work with health care providers and may contact patients directly to ensure medical care, testing, and planning for partner notification occurs.
If I always use protection (condoms/clean needles or works), why do I need testing?
Using protection (condoms) during vaginal, oral or anal sex is a great way to avoid getting infected; however it is not 100% effective. Sometimes condoms do not fit correctly, are not used correctly or at the right time, or they may break. Also, some STDs can be transmitted during contact between areas not covered by the condom.

Using clean needles and works will prevent transmission of HIV, as well as syphilis and Hepatitis C, but you can still get these diseases if you have sex with people with these diseases. It is also important to not share your clean works with others, to protect their health.
If I ask for help from HHSA, who from the agency will notify my partner(s)?
A HHSA staff person will work with you. These caring and dedicated professionals are trained it he areas of STD/HIV and partner notification. They work under strict standards to protect your confidentiality. These staff are also skilled in how to discretely notify people of their exposure, give information on STDs and HIV, counseling and other related topics.
What if my partner(s) don't live in Yolo County or even California?
The state and local departments work with each other, as well as with departments across the US. HHSA staff can contact the right area to get the notification done. Wherever the partner(s) live, they will not be told any information about you, not even where you live.
Will you tell my partner(s) that I gave their name?
No. Your information is private. We will never tell your partner about you, when you were tested or when they may have been exposed.

Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency Infectious Disease Unit 25 N. Cottonwood Street, Woodland, CA 95695

Business Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Community/Public Health Main Line (530) 666-8643, Confidential Fax (530) 669-1549

After Business Hours (24/7) Contact the MHOAC at (530) 321-3620

Yolo County Press Releases Health Alerts (CAHAN)

List of Reportable Diseases Report a Disease

Report Another Type of Concern

Infectious Disease Investigation

Outbreak Information

Disease Information

Reports

Communicable Disease FAQs

Can't I just tell my partner(s) myself?

How do I know which, if any, of my partner(s) may have been exposed to an STD or HIV?

I don't want to involve my steady partner in this because I don't want to break up. Do I need to tell (or have someone from HHSA notify) him or her?

I just got a call from someone at Yolo County Health & Human Services Agency. How do I know that this isn't a prank?

If I always use protection (condoms/clean needles or works), why do I need testing?

If I ask for help from HHSA, who from the agency will notify my partner(s)?

What if my partner(s) don't live in Yolo County or even California?

Will you tell my partner(s) that I gave their name?

Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency
Infectious Disease Unit
25 N. Cottonwood Street, Woodland, CA 95695