Mission Statement:
We commit through personal and
programmatic excellence to inform constituents about zoonotic diseases and
animal control issues through education, disease surveillance and epidemiologic
investigations. Our combined team effort will contribute to DSHS’ overall
objective of promoting and protecting the health and well-being of citizens in
the State of Texas.
Program Overview:
The Health Service Region 7 Zoonosis Control Program exists to prevent and
reduce the impact of zoonotic diseases on human endeavors in Central
Texas. Zoonoses are diseases
transmissible between people and animals causing illness which adversely affect
the patient. Program activities are comprised
of disease investigation and reporting, disease consultation, education, and
field surveillance. Specific examples of program activities include, but are
not limited to:
- Investigate
all reports of human and animal notifiable disease conditions, and report
resulted data to the State Zoonosis Control Branch and the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Educate medical professionals (human
and veterinary), media, government officials, and general public via telephone
consultations, quarterly summaries, emails, and speaking engagements.
- Offer 24/7
consultations to the public, animal control officers (ACO), human health care
providers and veterinarians when people or animals may have been exposed to
rabies. Perform rabies risk assessments and make recommendations on
post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent rabies disease.
- Train ACOs,
peace officers, and municipal and county government leaders in rabies
prevention, animal control laws, and animal welfare by offering two Basic ACO
Training Courses annually and 12 hours of continuing education annually.
- Inspect
public animal quarantine facilities annually to ensure compliance with state
health and safety codes. Require annual
inspections of select animal shelters, and maintain animal shelter inspection
records, as well as review animal rabies quarantine facility construction
plans.
- Sell rabies post-exposure
biologicals (vaccine and immune globulin) to uninsured persons who are (1)
unable to obtain free biologicals from a manufacturers’ Patient Assistance
Programs (2) have a valid rabies exposure, and (3) have a prescription from a
physician who will administer the injections.
- Provide consultation on updating local animal control ordinances.
- Perform tick and mosquito surveillance (trapping) to detect viral,
rickettsial and spirochetal agents that may cause diseases in people.
- Conduct emerging disease investigations.
-
Participate in special projects (i.e. Oral Rabies
Vaccination Program, outbreak investigations).
Animal Control Officer Training
Rabies Information
West Nile Virus Information
Chagas Disease (Triatomid Bug Submission)
Tick Submission
Zika Information
Zoonosis Control Branch - Austin
Contacts:
Melinda Hergert, Zoonosis Control Veterinarian
Melissa Maass, Program Specialist III
Zullymar Rios , Program Specialist III
Jay Leivdal, Public Health Prevention Specialist
Region 7 Home