Courses

SFDPH Communicable Disease Control Unit

This course contains eight lessons that together provide a fundamental overview of the SFDPH Communicable Disease Control Unit. Lessons do not need to be taken in sequence, though all are recommended as content for this course. All of the modules conclude with a Knowledge Check you must complete and pass to receive credit. Knowledge Checks can be taken more than once. To learn more about the CDCU, please visit our website at https://www.sfcdcp.org/communicable-disease/.

Lesson Overview:

Communicable Disease Control:

This lesson provides the general framework and responsibilities of Communicable Disease Control. The lesson should take about 30 minutes to complete.

Important Terminology Used in Communicable Disease:

This lesson provides critical terms used in Communicable Disease Control. Terminology is sourced from the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual (2016). The lesson should take about 30 minutes to complete.

Testing Methods for Communicable Diseases:

This lesson provides an overview of testing methods for communicable diseases. An orientation to types of tests and test results are reviewed. The lesson provides information about genomic sequencing, specimen management, and some common terms related to test results. The lesson should take about 15 minutes to complete.

CDCU Officer of the Day and Clinical Consultation:

This lesson provides training for DCIs and RNs regarding the CDCU Officer of the Day (OD). The lesson should take about 45 minutes to complete.

  • Overview and Responsibilities of Officer of the Day
  • Procedures for Managing Common Calls to Officer of the Day
  • Consultation Guidance
  • CD Nurse of the Day Proposal

Communicable Disease Control: Vector-Borne Diseases:

This lesson provides a brief overview of Vector-Borne Diseases (VBD), defined as infectious diseases of animals and humans caused by pathogenic agents transmitted by arthropod vectors. The lesson should take about 25 minutes to complete.

Importance of Public Health Investigations of Enteric Infections:

This lesson provides an overview of the importance of public health investigations of enteric infections. It should take about 30 minutes to complete.

  • Enteric infections, common enteric infections reported to CDCU, and actions taken by CDCU in response
  • Information about testing and specimen management
  • Sensitive occupations and situations
  • CDCU protocols for enteric infections

SFDPH Communicable Disease Control Training: Animal Bites and Rabies:

This lesson provides SFDPH Communicable Disease Control training on animal bites. Specifically, the lesson gives information on CDCU’s role in supporting the prevention of rabies after animal exposure. There is information on epidemiology, testing, transmission, symptoms, PREP and PEP. The lesson should take about 45 minutes to complete.

Public Health Investigation of Vaccine Preventable Diseases:

This lesson provides an overview of the public health investigation of vaccine preventable diseases. The lesson includes VPD reports, determinations made, test results, interviewing, exposures and outbreaks, and a summary of actions for VPDs when working in CDCU. The lesson should take about 15 minutes to complete.