Skip to search box Skip to main content
Text Only Version

Public Health

Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control

Address:

Suffolk County Dept. of Health Services
3500 Sunrise Highway, Suite 124
Building 300
P.O. Box 9006
Great River, New York 11739-9006

(631) 854-0333
FAX 631-854-0346

Sexually Transmitted Disease
(STD) Control Unit
STD Control Unit (631) 854-0364
After Hours urgent Public Health issues can be reported to the following number: (631) 852-4820

Bureau of Epidemiology & Disease Control

Public Health Logo

The Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control within the Division of Public Health plays a central role in the Health Department’s mission to prevent the occurrence and spread of communicable disease. The New York Sanitary Code designates over 70 communicable diseases as reportable. The Bureau maintains surveillance for each disease through investigation performed by experienced epidemiological staff. Surveillance activities include identifying patterns and clusters to find common source outbreaks and tracing chains of infection to their origin. Outbreak control measures are instituted in some cases to prevent further spread of disease, such as contact tracing, vaccination of susceptibles, providing prophylactic (preventive) medication or treatment, and notifying and educating individuals or groups of their potential exposure. Occasionally, food handlers, vendors, wholesale suppliers or restaurateurs are identified as the point source of infection and immediate actions are taken to ensure the safety of the public. The Bureau’s Nurse Epidemiologists maintain close contact with area hospital Infection Control Practitioners in order to ascertain suspect patient presentations, unexpected illness, unusual clusters that may indicate a biological terrorist event or unusual occurrence of a communicable disease in the community.  Clinical staff are available 24 hours, seven days a week to respond to urgent public health disease inquiries  or issues.

The Bureau encourages recommended adult immunizations and provides regular MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccination clinics for college students.

The Bureau operates a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Control Unit, investigating reported cases of Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV/AIDS. The Unit initiates disease intervention strategies which include interview of the index patient, counseling and referrals as needed, contacts & partner notification and follow-up and investigation of possible clusters. Medical providers are contacted to ensure treatment is completed.

Resources

Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control staff can be reached during working hours at (631) 854-0333


The Bureau’s STD Unit can be reached at (631) 854-0364


After hours urgent Public Health issues can be reported to the after-hours number (631) 852-4820

Public Health Information

Suffolk County Government

H. Lee Dennison Bldg

100 Veterans Memorial Hwy
P.O. Box 6100
Hauppauge, NY 11788

Riverhead County Center

County Road 51
Riverhead, NY 11901