COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Communicable Disease Reporting & Surveillance System

Many people are surprised to learn that the New Jersey Department of Health has developed an electronic, web-enabled system where public health partners statewide can instantly report and track incidences of communicable diseases.

The Communicable Disease Reporting and Surveillance System (CDRSS) facilitates the timely reporting and immediate sharing of pertinent data, thus supporting appropriate public health responses, be they isolated incidences or multi-state outbreaks.

Positive laboratory reports of communicable diseases are entered into CDRSS either by electronic laboratory reporting (ELR) transmissions or are entered manually on a daily basis from clinical laboratories and hospitals. Follow up information is added by the public health nurse or health officer.

The CDRSS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and weekly transmissions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) support national as well as statewide surveillance. There are many communicable diseases that require investigation when a resident living in towns that Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission services has or is suspected of having a communicable or reportable disease.

Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission is unable to take medical waste of any kind. Please see the following links for more information on proper disposal:

Safe Syringe Disposal

Household Medical Waste Disposal

Guidelines for Proper Disposal of Household Medication

Project Medicine Drop

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has developed Project Medicine Drop as an important component of its effort to halt the abuse and diversion of prescription drugs. It allows consumers to dispose of unused and expired medications anonymously, seven days a week, 365 days a year, at "prescription drug drop boxes" located within the headquarters of participating police departments.

Each Project Medicine Drop box is installed indoors, affixed to the floor or wall in a secure area within police department headquarters, within view of law enforcement officers, in an area to which members of the public may be admitted to dispose of their unused medications. Their prominent "Project Medicine Drop" logos make the boxes highly visible and recognizable.

This initiative builds on the success of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's National Take Back Initiative, and the American Medicine Chest Challenge, which is sponsored in New Jersey by the DEA, Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey, and Sheriffs' Association of New Jersey. Both programs provide single-day opportunities to drop off unused medications at pre-identified, secure locations.

Project Medicine Drop provides the opportunity to discard unused prescription medications every day throughout the year. The participating police agencies maintain custody of the deposited drugs, and dispose of them according to their normal procedures for the custody and destruction of controlled dangerous substances. They report the quantity of discarded drugs to the Division of Consumer Affairs on a quarterly basis.

Questions? Contact Us!