Disease surveillance is at the heart of a public health system. It is used to monitor disease trends over time, to detect disease outbreaks, and to increase our knowledge of risk factors that contribute to disease development.
Under Texas law, health care providers, hospitals, laboratories, schools, and others are required to report cases of nearly 80 different diseases and health conditions to local and state health officials.
The Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit receives case reports and collects additional detailed information through case investigation. These reports help public health professionals understand the incidence of diseases in the community, and guide appropriate prevention strategies or protective measures to reduce the spread of disease in the community.
Reporting Diseases -- For Health Care Providers and Others
You can report a disease in Austin/Travis County by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Messages are answered within 15 minutes (on call 24/7).
- Call 512-972-5555
- Fax: 512-972-5772
- 2024 Disease Reporting Packet for Travis County
Notifiable Conditions Reports
These monthly reports summarize information on notifiable conditions In Travis County.
Dashboards
Data Briefs
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Drug Overdoses
- Falls
- HIV
- Injuries
- Motor Vehicle-Related Deaths and Hospitalizations
- Pertussis
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Suicide
- Typhus
Disease Information
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Ebola
- Hepatitis A
- Influenza (Flu)
- Measles
- Meningitis
- Syphilis
- Typhus in Travis County
- West Nile Virus
- Zika Virus
More disease information is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their A-Z Index of Diseases and Conditions.
APH Staff Publications
Epidemiologists and other staff at Austin Public Health conduct activities to identify and better understand current and emerging public health issues (e.g., infectious diseases, chronic diseases, injuries) in our community. Read more about studies and publications authored by APH staff.
HIPAA Compliance
Austin Public Health will comply with all federal and state laws that pertain to any aspect of the clinical practices or business procedures of the Department. In particular, privacy and security rules relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), along with related state laws, are integral to matters of privacy, medical records, the confidentiality of communications, and other topics addressed throughout these policies and procedures.