Medical Professionals Resource Page

If your patient resides outside of Lucas County, any reportable diseases need to be reported to that jurisdiction.

Cities

• Toledo
• Maumee
  
• Oregon
  
• Sylvania
  
• Waterville

Townships

• Harding
  
• Jerusalem
  
• Monclova
  
• Providence
  
• Richfield
  
• Spencer
  
• Springfield
  
• Swanton
  
• Sylvania
  
• Washington
  
• Waterville

Villages

• Ottawa Hills
  
• Swanton
  
• Whitehouse

ABCs of Reportable Infectious Diseases

Infectious Disease Control Manual
Reference providing information about infectious diseases and includes prevention, control, and reporting of suspected and diagnosed cases

What must be reported by Healthcare Provider:

• Name of case
• Diagnosis
• Case Date of birth
• Sex of case
• Telephone number of case or guardian 
• Address
• Lab Test Results if available*
  • *Some testing requires approval prior to sending samples, contact TLCHD (e.g. measles, MERS, etc.)
• Other Pertinent Information: suspicion of toxins, known exposures, symptoms, etc.
• Healthcare provider information

When report should be made:

• • Class A — Immediately by phone
  • Class B — by the end of next business day
  • Class C— by the end of next business day

How report should be made: Health Department Ohio Disease Reporting Form faxed to 419-213-4546.

Download the list of Reportable Infectious Diseases here

Enteric Diseases

• Bacteria: Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shiga-toxin E.coli, Shigella, Listeria, Yersinia
• Parasites: Cryptosporidium, Giardia 
• Bacterial Toxins: Bacillus cereus, Clostridium Perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus

Download the Exclusions for Sensitive Occupations for Enteric Illnesses document here

Rabies Reporting / Treatment

There is no single or simple ante-mortem diagnostic test to rule out rabies in humans. Scroll down for the PEP Algorithm or download it here.

Rabies: Virus from saliva that attacks the brain and nervous system, most commonly from bats, skunks, and raccoons. Rabies usually results in death, but vaccines are available (rabies immune globulin and a series of four shots of vaccine).

Rabies Brochure
Animal Bites and Rabies Risk A Guide for Ohio Public Health Professionals
Animal Bite Flyer

Animal Bite/Scratch Reporting:

If a patient presents with or discuses an animal bite or scratch, or possible/known exposure to bats, complete the Animal Bite/Scratch Exposure Form here: (Updated Form Coming Soon)

• Signs of rabies in an animal:
  • Aggressiveness, attacking for no reason, becoming unusually quiet
  • Walking in circles, dragging their leg, falling over
  • Cannot eat or drink, excessive drooling
• What to do if bitten: wash the bite with lots of soap and water as soon as possible
• What Health Department does:
  • Provide guidance on vaccination requirements, treatment options
  • Helps coordinate quarantine response of animal with appropriate agency or veterinary clinic

If you suspect a rash may be due to a class A reportable disease, we encourage you to order available exclusionary tests before placing your reportable call with TLCHD, but do not delay calling for the results or if such tests are not able to be ordered.

You do not need to report by telephone any of the Class B or C diseases listed below unless you are reporting an unusual outbreak of 2 or more cases from different households.

Chicken Pox (Class B)

• Signs & Symptoms

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (Not individually reportable)

• Signs & Symptoms

Lyme Disease (Class B)

• Signs & Symptoms
• Exclusion Testing:
  • EIA or IFA serum antibody
  • Western blot (should not be run without first performing and EIA or IFA)
    • Western blot should not be run if the EIA or IFA tests are negative.
    • A positive IgM western blot is only meaningful during the first 4 weeks of illness.
  • If the person has been ill for longer than 4-6 weeks and the IgG Western blot test is negative, it is unlikely the person has Lyme disease, even if the IgM Western blot is positive.

Mpox (Class B)

• Signs & Symptoms
• Exclusion Testing:
  • PCR testing of dry swabs from lesions

Scarlet Fever (Not individually reportable)

• Signs & Symptoms
• Testing:
  • Laboratory diagnostic testing for variola virus should be conducted in Level C or D laboratories only. 

Smallpox (Class A)

• Signs & Symptoms
• Smallpox Algorithm

Shingles (Class B)

• Signs & Symptoms

Ringworm (Not individually reportable)

• Signs & Symptoms
• Testing:
  • Potassium Hydroxide Preparation
  • Fungal Culture
  • Histopathologic Examination With A Periodic Acid-Schiff Stain
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Ultraviolet Light (Wood’s Lamp)

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Class B)

• Signs & Symptoms
• Testing:
  • Indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) assay for immunoglobulin G (IgG) using R. rickettsii antigen
    • IgG IFA assays should be performed on paired acute and convalescent serum samples collected 2–4 weeks apart to demonstrate evidence of a fourfold seroconversion.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Sign up for HAN Alerts here.

HAN Message Types

Ohio Department of Health

Check back for health alerts from the Ohio Department of Health.

Lucas County

Check back for information from the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department regarding timely alerts or information.

HIV

• Testing is conducted at the Toledo Lucas County Health Department by appointment or walk-in

PREP

• Once-a-day pill protecting against HIV
• Prevents an HIV-negative person from becoming positive
• Visit a PREP clinic to be prescribed

STD

• Syphilis
• Gonorrhea
• Chlamydia
• Trichomoniasis
• HIV
• HPV Vaccinations
• Schedule at 419-213-2013

Tuberculosis

• The Health Department provides Two-Step TB Testing by appointment only
• Schedule at 419-213-2013

Shots 4 Tots

• Immunization program for children from birth to 18 at 13 different locations
• Includes all ACIP-recommended vaccines
• Fee: $21.25 fee per shot for those whose insurance does not cover any vaccines

WIC

• Special supplemental Nutrition Program for women, infants, and children
• Provides nutrition education, breastfeeding support, supplemental food
• Qualifications: Pregnant, breastfeeding, women who have recently had children (up to six months), at medical or nutrition risk, and meet income guidelines
• Contact: 419-213-4422

Healthy Start Program

• Free home visiting program providing education and care coordination to families of children under 18 months
• The program should be referred to first-time moms to educate them on childcare and link them with other resources they may need to raise their baby

Safe sleep education, vaccinations, breastfeeding support, social services

• Diapers, cribs, car seats, housing, etc.
• Refer to (419)-213-8434

Cribs for Kids

• National infant safe sleep program to reduce the risk of injuries and deaths due to unsafe sleep environments
• Provides safe-sleep education class
• Those who complete the program receive a portable crib, sheet, wearable blanket, and educational materials

Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH)

• Healthcare program that links families of children with special healthcare needs to quality providers
• Helps to obtain payment for health needs
• Services:
  • Lab tests and X-rays, Physician visits, Prescription medications, Therapy, Medical equipment, and supplies, Surgeries, and hospitalization
• Eligibility:
  • Age 0-23, Resident of Ohio, under the care of a BCMH-approved doctor, has a chronic medical condition.
• Conditions eligible:
  • AIDS, cancer, cerebral palsy, lung disease, cleft lip/palate, diabetes, hearing loss, scoliosis, sickle cell, etc.

• Birth control and education
• Reproductive counseling and education
• Pregnancy testing and counseling
• STD testing and treatment
• Screening for cervical cancer
• Pap and pelvic exams
• Breast and testicular exams
• HIV testing
• On-site Pharmacy
• Schedule at 419-213-2013

Impact patients by making small changes:

• Use people-first language when caring for patients and connect individuals with appropriate resources throughout the community
• Identify patients at risk of an opioid overdose, including those receiving chronic opioid therapy (for three months or longer), using illicit opioids or those who receive concurrent opioid or benzodiazepine prescriptions
• Offer naloxone and/or MAIT/MOUD to at-risk patients, or patients who have at-risk friends or family members, by prescribing directly or by referring to a pharmacy or a registered program
• Educate patients about buprenorphine, one of the most effective treatments for OUD, and prescribe buprenorphine to patients to decrease overdose risk and improve quality of life

Steps for safer opioid prescribing

• If opioids are needed, start prescribing at the lowest effective dose
• Use available PDMP Data to determine if patients have previously filled prescriptions for opioids or other controlled medications
• Prescribe naloxone to prevent fatal opioid overdoses
• Offer treatment for patients with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), including medications

Syringe Service Program (SSP)
A community-based public health program that provides comprehensive harm reduction services, such as:

• Sterile syringes and injection equipment
• Safe disposal containers
• HIV and Hepatitis testing
• Education and referral to treatment, medical, mental health, and social services
• Non-Opioid treatments for pain
• Identify and address mental health conditions (depression, anxiety, PTSD)
• Use disease-specific treatments when available (triptans for migraines, gabapentin for neuropathic pain)
• Use first-line medication options preferentially
• Use multimodal approaches, including interdisciplinary rehabilitation for patients who have failed standard treatments, have severe functional deficits, or psychosocial risk factor

Naloxone Prescriptions
Giving Naloxone to people who use drugs is associated with reduced overdose mortality

• Prescribe for patients taking opioids with:
  • Opioid use > 50 50 MMEs / day
  • Benzodiazepine use
  • History of substance use disorder
  • History of opioid overdose
  • Comorbidities or medications that increase overdose risk
  • Loss of tolerance

Words to use/avoid when consulting patients

• Use: Person with an opioid/substance use disorder, person who uses drugs, use, misuse, harmful use, actively using
• Avoid: Addict, user, abuser, problem, dirty/clean, problem