March 24, 2020
The Texas Department of State Health Services is updating its method of reporting COVID-19 cases in Texas. In order to provide more timely information, the DSHS daily case count now includes all cases reported publicly by local health departments around the state.
March 19, 2020
Calls on Texans to stay home and limit gatherings to 10 people
Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, today declared a public health disaster in Texas because COVID-19 “has created an immediate threat, poses a high risk of death to a large number of people and creates a substantial risk of public exposure because of the disease’s method of transmission and evidence that there is community spread in Texas.”
March 17, 2020
The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed the first death of a Texas resident who tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. The patient was a man in his 90s who was a resident of Matagorda County and had been hospitalized.
March 15, 2020
At the request of the Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas has received a share of personal protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile.
March 11, 2020
Public health officials in Texas are investigating a case of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, in a Montgomery County resident with no out-of-state travel and no identified contact with another person with COVID-19.
March 9, 2020
The Texas Department of State Health Services is working with Collin County Health Care Services and other local health departments to investigate a presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a Collin County resident with recent travel to California. The patient remains isolated at home under public health monitoring as additional testing is done to confirm the test result. Collin County is leading the investigation to identify close contacts of the individual and monitor and test them as appropriate.
March 4, 2020
Travel-related case in Fort Bend County
The Texas Department of State Health Services and Fort Bend County Health and Human Services are reporting the first positive test result for COVID-19 in Texas outside of the passengers returned under federal quarantine from Wuhan City, China or the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Feb. 29, 2020
The Texas Department of State Health Services is notifying people who visited the cattle barn at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Feb. 11-14 that they may need to be assessed for a possible rabies exposure.
Jan. 18, 2020
The Texas Department of State Health Services is notifying people who visited the Erath County Humane Society Jan. 3-15 that they may need to be assessed for a possible rabies exposure.
Jan. 9, 2020
The Texas Department of State Health Services is alerting consumers after a case of mercury poisoning was linked to a cosmetic purchased in Mexico.
Jan. 8, 2020
The Texas Department of State Health Services’ successful Oral Rabies Vaccination Program gets off to a flying start today in its annual mission to protect people and animals from the deadly disease.
Dec. 13, 2019
The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed that six children have died in Texas of flu-related causes since the flu season started at the end of September.
Dec. 02, 2019
DSHS is reminding people to take precautions following 27 cases of shigellosis in Fort Stockton and Pecos County.
Nov. 01, 2019
As deer hunting season begins, the Texas Department of State Health Services reminds Texans to take precautions to protect themselves from serious diseases transmitted by animals.
Oct. 03, 2019
New state law requires additional test during pregnancy
Texas public health officials are reminding health care professionals about a new law increasing syphilis testing during pregnancy.
Sept. 30, 2019
Tuesday is Texas Influenza Awareness Day
DSHS recommends that everyone 6 months old and older get vaccinated now to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications.
Sept. 26, 2019
Texas was recognized this week for its successful effort to increase immunizations among emergency responders.
Sept. 12, 2019
The Texas Department of State Health Services will receive a federal grant to support the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and its efforts to reduce maternal deaths in Texas.
Sept. 5, 2019
Health officials, state leaders and patient advocates gathered at the state public health laboratory in Austin today to celebrate the addition of a new test to the health screening done for every baby born in Texas.
Sept. 3, 2019
A ribbon cutting ceremony and laboratory tour to celebrate implementation of testing Texas newborns for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, or X-ALD.
Aug. 19, 2019
The Texas Department of State Health Services is investigating suspected Texas cases of severe lung disease in people who used e-cigarettes.
Aug. 13, 2019
Public health officials have confirmed the state's first case of illness caused by West Nile virus in 2019.
July 17, 2019
Operation Lone Star, the annual emergency preparedness exercise coordinated by the Texas Department of State Health Services, returns to six South Texas sites July 22-26.
July 8, 2019
Preparedness effort aimed at being ready before disaster strikes
June 27, 2019
DSHS is sharing steps people can take to protect against naturally-occurring anthrax.
June 20, 2019
A presentation on GetWaiveredTX, a DSHS program to expand the tools available to health care providers for opioid treatment.
May 23, 2019
A mild winter, even by Texas standards, means public health officials are on guard for a possible increase in West Nile virus cases this year.
March 6, 2019
The Texas Department of State Health Services is now reporting 10 measles cases in the state in 2019, one more than Texas saw all of last year.
Jan. 9, 2019
The successful Oral Rabies Vaccination Program resumes flights today in its annual mission to control rabies in the state.