When it comes to combatting disease outbreaks, it's all hands on deck at the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE). Their Epidemiology and Disease Intervention team is at the front lines, handling everything from individual cases to full-blown outbreaks, ensuring the health and safety of the Denver population. In 2024, they tackled 144 outbreaks and managed over a thousand cases of communicable diseases. And lest we forget, these are the same folks who were at the epicenter during the tumultuous COVID-19 times, now wielding their expertise in a post-pandemic landscape.
Their job, in layman's terms, is pretty straightforward, they track down illnesses, figure out who's getting sick and why, and try to put a lid on it before things get out of hand. According to DDPHE, the Epidemiology Unit Supervisor, Leslee Warren, MS, says their team focuses on communicable diseases that can spread through people, animals, the environment, and even your lunch. Warren explains that part of their job is interviewing the ill, coordinating with healthcare partners, and advising places like schools and eateries on how to keep germs at bay.
Outbreaks, as Warren points out in her interview, aren't just the apocalyptic scenarios we've seen on TV, sometimes it's just a couple of cases that are out of the ordinary. An outbreak is an uptick in disease beyond what's normally expected for a certain time and place. It doesn't take thousands to cause concern, just a few can ring alarm bells. And these diseases aren't picky, they can come from anywhere, from poorly handled food to a virus gone airborne. The team jumps on these cases by checking labs, conducting interviews, and putting together the pieces to find the source, be it a batch of bad burgers or a sick staff member.
But it's not just about putting out fires. The team is also dedicated to prevention, which means keeping a close watch on trends in disease data that comes their way, all of which is mandated by law to be reported. As Warren emphasized, "Our primary goal in outbreak investigation is to stop the immediate spread of illness, but we also want to learn how we can prevent similar situations in the future," as obtained by DDPHE. And in a city like Denver, collaboration is key. The DDPHE works hand in glove with other local health agencies and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE), especially if an outbreak isn't playing by county lines.
