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Works to monitor, treat, and prevent incidents of rabies, insect-related diseases, and other communicable diseases. Rabies control encompasses exposure follow ups for humans and domestic animals through contact investigations, pre and post-exposure treatments, animal confinements and quarantines, laboratory specimen submissions, vaccination clinics for domestic animals, and community education. Vector control monitors insect-related diseases such as West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease through a variety of functions such as species surveillance and public education.

Offers information and counseling on all communicable diseases.

Provides public health services in programs that respond to concerns dealing with the indoor and outdoor environment.

* Preserves and protects the public from diseases, environmental hazards and health risks through direct services and enforcement of health codes.

* Monitoring, processing and investigation of complaints regarding:

• Food protection
• Air quality in homes including issues such as mold, carbon monoxide and radon
• Lead poisoning prevention and hazard assessments
• Public water systems
• Individual sewage and water testing recommendations
• Public health nuisances
• Prevention of vector borne diseases
• Smoking restrictions and sales of tobacco products to minors
• Mobile home parks sanitation
• Tanning facilities, body art and tattooing facilities
• Recreational water use / bathing beaches

* Plan approvals of realty subdivision and promotion of smart growth principles.

* Weights & Measures

Responsible for implementing programs and providing information to help individuals live healthier lives by minimizing environmental health threats. Some efforts are targeted to the population at large, such as monitoring of public and private drinking water supplies, food safety in restaurants, fire safety in hotels, and permitting of mass gatherings. Other programs target specific needs such as interventions to prevent illness from rabies, lead poisoning, failing septic systems, and sale of tobacco products to minors.

Program staff is responsible for morbidity reporting, gathering, compiling, and interpreting of data and statistics for all communicable diseases reported in Niagara County. Staff communicate with hospitals in the county on a daily basis to assess for cluster activity or anything unusual. Community education is a vital component of the program, with staff available to provide information to the general public on a variety of infections and diseases. Responsibility for reporting communicable diseases rests primarily with the physician, but also with laboratories, school nurses, day care center directors, nursing homes, hospitals, and other locations providing health services. New York State mandates all communicable diseases be reported directly to the Health Department for surveillance and follow-up. See website for a list of reportable diseases.