Polk County Public Health, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health, prepares for, prevents, investigates, and mitigates infectious diseases outbreaks. Efforts may include surveillance activities, interviews, and/or case management for Tuberculosis, Perinatal Hepatitis B, sexually transmitted infections, vaccine-preventable diseases, Influenza, COVID-19, food and vector-borne diseases, and other diseases as deemed necessary.
Our team monitors emerging illnesses to educate and prevent illness spread in our community. Working closely with federal, state, and local officials, we plan and coordinate responses to a pandemic or other infection threats by training and educating healthcare providers, stockpiling medical supplies, and organizing vaccines or dispensing clinics.
For more information about infectious disease issues, contact Polk County Public Health at 218-281-3385, go to the MDH website or contact the MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division at (651) 201-5414, or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
Disease Reporting
By law, certain diseases that can affect the public's health must be reported to public health agencies from healthcare providers and laboratories in order to keep the disease from spreading.