Bureau of Enviromental Health & Communicable Diseases (BECD)

The Bureau of Environmental Health and Communicable Disease includes programs that monitor disease trends and epidemics; prevent the spread of communicable diseases; prevent diseases through immunization; help safeguard Idaho’s food supply; provide education about how to maintain healthy environments at home, work, and school; and collaborate to minimize environmental public health hazards.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Disease Surveillance and Analytics

The Disease Surveillance and Analytics Program administers, manages, and maintains data systems and applications to support other programs in the division. The program manages data dashboards to make sure Idahoans have access to summary information about diseases being monitored in Idaho, including viral respiratory diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and rabies.

To view the data dashboards managed by the Disease Surveillance and Analytics Program, visit: https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/infectious-disease-idaho.

Epidemiology

The Epidemiology Section provides statewide leadership by providing funding, consultation, and direction to Idaho’s seven local public health districts for the investigation and prevention of communicable and infectious diseases. These diseases include 74 reportable diseases and conditions that include bloodborne, enteric (intestine), vaccine-preventable, zoonotic (animal-born), and respiratory diseases.

The section works to track and monitor diseases and control outbreaks and prevent future infections. It also provides expertise, disease investigations, tuberculosis consultation and treatment services, and the promotion of infection control practices to help prevent healthcare-associated infections and multi-drug resistant organisms.

Environmental Health and Food Protection

The Environmental Health and Food Protection Section includes programs focused on improving the overall health and well-being of Idaho’s communities by promoting healthy food, water, air, and indoor environments. The program includes toxicology, the childhood blood lead poisoning prevention program, and the indoor radon program.

The Food Protection Program protects the public from foodborne illnesses by providing oversight, training, and guidance to environmental health specialists at Idaho’s local public health districts. It is also responsible for ensuring compliance with laws regulating food safety. The program collaborates with the local public health districts and epidemiologists during foodborne illness investigations suspected to be linked to licensed food establishments.

Immunization Program

The mission of the Idaho Immunization Program is to increase the immunization coverage of children in Idaho and prevent vaccine-preventable diseases. The program oversees the federally funded Vaccines for Children Program, conducts site visits with providers enrolled in the program, and distributes vaccines to providers for free for all Idaho children from birth through age 18 to ensure access to recommended vaccines, regardless of ability to pay.

The program maintains Idaho’s Immunization Reminder System (IRIS), a voluntary web-based immunization information system that provides healthcare providers, schools, and childcare facilities access to vaccine records for Idaho residents of all ages, and the Docket™ application to allow Idahoans easy access to their immunization records.