Disease Reporting for the Public
It’s important to report certain illnesses and conditions to us or your health care provider to keep them from spreading. If you see your health care provider, they’ll let us know about ones that they’re required to report to us, then we’ll follow up with you to make sure you’re getting the care you need.
Here are some things you can report to us yourself
Food poisoning. Do you think you got sick from something you ate? A lot of people think they got sick from their last meal. Some germs make you sick soon after eating, but others can take up to 3 or more days to develop. Use our secure online foodborne illness report, or call us at (608) 266-4821. We’ll ask you:
- Your symptoms
- Places you’ve recently visited
- What you’ve eaten in the last few days
Learn more about what we do with your report, when to get medical advice about symptoms you’re having, and how to protect yourself and others from food poisoning on our webpage.
Animal bites. Even if you own the animal or you know the owner, it’s important to report all animal bites to us. We’ll help you figure out the risk for rabies or other illnesses from the bite. Follow these steps right away:
- Wash the bite well with soap and water right away.
- If you were injured, see a health care provider as soon as possible. Here are some tips if you don’t have insurance.
- Report the bite to us by using our online report form below, or calling (608) 255-2345 and asking for Animal Services.
Fill out an online animal bite report
Learn more about animal bites and how to prevent them from happening on our webpage.
Have questions or concerns about a communicable disease or condition?
Please consider reaching out to your health care provider who can focus on diagnosing and treating you. We focus on protecting and promoting the health of the community. We may be able to answer general communicable disease questions or concerns.
To contact us, call (608) 266-4821, Monday through Friday, from 8:00am - 4:30pm. Ask to leave a voice mail for our communicable disease staff. We check messages and return calls frequently throughout each weekday. This is not a phone line to monitor chronic diagnoses or rule out new infections. If you have a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1 instead.
Visit CDC and DHS Wisconsin for more information about diseases and conditions.
