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Portland Street Clinic to Hold Open House  (8/4/2008)
Health Care for Portland's Homeless, Portland Street Clinic is having an open house August 13, 2008. More

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (Red Tide) Updated Advisory  (7/30/2008)
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (Red Tide) Updated Advisory from Maine Center for Disease Control. More

Latest CDC Data Show More Americans Report Being Obese  (7/17/2008)
The proportion of U.S. adults who self-report they are obese increased nearly 2 percent between 2005 and 2007, according to a report in today′s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). More

Maine CDC Warns of Scam  (7/15/2008)
Some Maine restaurateurs and caterers have been targeted by two possible scams involving the sale of hand-washing posters, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. More

Updated Web Pages Ready for Use  (6/30/2008)
A new web page on emergency preparedness, and updates to the 'Information for Providers Page' have recently been added to the Division website. More

County and Town Health Assessments Now Available  (6/27/2008)
Cumberland County/District Health Assessments for individual towns and the county are now available. More

Staying Safe in the Summer Heat  (6/9/2008)
With Maine heading into summer, it is important for all of us to prevent heat-related problems and to recognize the signs of heat illness early. More

Help us help you!  (6/3/2008)
Help the Public Health Division focus its efforts on the health problems in your community by participating in our Municipal Health Survey. More

As Summer Approaches, Watch Out For Rabies  (5/26/2008)
With the warm weather come questions and concerns about rabies. Rabies is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord and is caused by a virus. It is almost always fatal. More

FoodBorne Illness UnderReported Nationwide  (4/7/2008)
For every one case of salmoneliosis (a common foodborne illness) reported, there are an estimated 38 that go unreported. More

Adults Lack Vaccination Awareness  (3/20/2008)
Despite the proven effectiveness of vaccines and their potential to save thousands of U.S. lives every year, American adults are receiving needed immunizations at alarmingly low rates. More

The Fiscal Year 2006-2007 Annual Report is now Available.  (2/19/2008)
The Fiscal Year 2006-2007 Annual Report for the Portland Public Health Division is now available for public viewing. More

frequently asked questions

What is the Epidemiology and Emergency Preparedness Program?
Who is an Epidemiologist?
What does an Epidemiologist do?
What is a notifiable condition?
Where do I learn more about a specific notifiable condition?
How do I report a notifiable condition?
Why should I report a notifiable condition?
What is a Public Health Emergency?
How do I prepare for a Public Health Emergency?

Epidemiology and Emergency Preparedness Program:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Epidemiology and Emergency Preparedness Program?

The Epidemiology and Emergency Preparedness Program is part of the City of Portland, Health and Human Services Department and provides notifiable disease investigation, surveillance and educational services to the Cumberland County on behalf of the State of Maine. Additionally, this program provides public health emergency preparedness and response consultation, coordination, implementation and evaluation for Cumberland County.

Who is an Epidemiologist?

Definition: [n] a medical scientist who studies the transmission and control of epidemic diseases or diseases that are in excess in the population.

What does an Epidemiologist do?

Epidemiologists work in variety of settings. Some epidemiologists work "in the field" meaning they are at the forefront of combating disease outbreaks all over the world. Typically, field epidemiologists are working to determine the cause of an infectious disease outbreak or epidemic. Epidemiologists also study chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer.

What is a notifiable condition?

In Maine, a notifiable disease is one that health providers and laboratories are required by law to report to the Maine Centers for Disease Control. Notifiable diseases are of public interest and safety because of their contagiousness, severity, or frequency.

Please view the Notifiable Conditions List for the State of Maine: Click here.

Where do I learn more about a specific notifiable condition?

Please visit the disease information page of this website for disease specific information: www.portlandmaine.gov/hhs/phdiseaseinfo.asp

More information can also be found in the CDC webpage www.cdc.gov and www.cste.org

How do I report a notifiable condition?

Notifiable conditions should be reported to Maine Center for Disease Control either by a toll free phone or fax (24 hours a day, 7 days a week):

Phone Number: 1-800-821-5821
Fax Number: 1-800-293-7534

Why should I report a notifiable condition?

Once public health staff knows about a communicable disease, they can act on this information to adopt the best strategies to prevent the introduction and spread of these diseases in the immediate community and beyond.

What is a Public Health Emergency?

A public health emergency can be the result of:

* Natural disaster (Ice storm, pandemic influenza)
Or
* Terrorist act (biological, chemical, or radiological agent release; or high-yield explosion)

How do I prepare for a public health emergency?

For more information about how to prepare for a public health emergency and how to create an emergency kit for you and your family please visit out emergency preparedness guide click here.