infectious diseases

To protect yourself and others, stay up to date on vaccines, stay home when sick, get tested when needed, consider when to wear a mask, and take considerations for people with medical certain conditions.

Polio is a potentially disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. Most U.S. adults are protected because of the vaccination program, and it is important for children to be vaccinated when recommended.

Learn about human monkeypox virus (hMPXV) like how it spreads from person to person, symptoms of the illness, and who should get vaccinated. Find communication resources and information for health care professionals.

Electronic case reporting (eCR) automatically generates and transmits case reports from electronic health records to public health agencies for review and action.

There have been no confirmed cases of AFM in Vermont since 2014. The Health Department is educating providers on what to look for and what actions to take if a patient comes in with symptoms consistent with AFM.

HIV post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, means taking antiretroviral medicines (ART) after being potentially exposed to HIV to prevent becoming infected.

PEP should be used only in emergency situations and must be started within 72 hours after a recent possible exposure to HIV. If you think you’ve recently been exposed to HIV during sex or through sharing needles and works to prepare drugs or if you’ve been sexually assaulted, talk to your health care provider or an emergency room doctor about PEP right away.

People at highest risk for HIV infection may be able to secure a free HIV test through the Comprehensive Care Clinics (Vermont providers of HIV specialty care) or through the Community Health Center of Burlington (a Federally Qualified Health Center). Contact one of the sites below for more information.

We support free HIV testing at a range of community sites. These sites also offer referral and links to prevention interventions that may help you stop the spread of HIV. People who are sexually active may receive referrals to STD testing. Although some locations offer drop-in testing, we suggest contacting the sites ahead of time to set up an appointment. 

Health care providers in Vermont are required to report certain infectious diseases to the Health Department. This information is then used by epidemiologists to track the spread of disease across the state.

Pneumococcal disease is caused by a bacterium known as Streptococcus pneumoniae, also called pneumococcus, one of the most common causes of severe pneumonia.