Communicable Disease

Focusing on Prevention

Communicable diseases are illnesses caused by viruses or bacteria that people spread to one another through contact with contaminated surfaces, bodily fluids, insect bites, or through the air. Monitoring and controlling communicable diseases is a core public health function. WAC 246-100 and WAC 246-101, adopted under Chapter 43.20 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), authorize Public Health to take steps to protect our communities from communicable diseases. We prevent illness by taking the following actions:

  • Investigate notifiable conditions reported by health professionals.
  • Conduct surveillance of communicable diseases.
  • Serving as a resource for healthcare providers, childcare centers, long-term care, and school districts.
Provider ResourcesProvider Resources
Reporting forms, alerts, and disease information. 		Communicable DiseaseVaccine Information
Find guidance and local vaccine locations.		School ReportingSchool Reporting
Report school absenteeism due to illness.		Respiratory IllnessRespiratory Illnesses
Find prevention and treatment guidance.

2022 Island County Communicable Disease Report

The table includes notifiable diseases and conditions that were reported to Island County Public Health and the Washington State Department of Health from 2018-2022. If a condition is not listed in the table, there were no reported cases in Island County from 2018-2022. The full list of notifiable diseases and conditions is available on the Washington State Department of Health website.

Infectious diarrheal illnesses, including campylobacteriosis, giardiasis, illness caused by shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and salmonellosis, were among the most reported conditions in Island County in 2022. Sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, were among the most prevalent communicable diseases in Island County in 2022.