Investigation Guidance

Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Guidelines (EAIDG)

• EAID Guidelines 2023 (PDF, 5.6 MB) **UPDATED 2023**

The purpose of this handbook is to provide a centralized resource for outbreak and reportable disease investigations to local and regional health departments in Texas. This handbook is intended as a tool to help local and regional public health staff with their surveillance activities and investigations. Our hope is that this handbook will continue to grow over the years and highlight some of the best investigation practices in the state. Information covers control measures, case definitions, case statuses, laboratory collection/shipping procedures and more. 

List of Individual Chapters: 

Acute Flaccid Myelitis (PDF, 229 KB)

Amebiasis (PDF, 412 KB)

Amebic Meningitis/Encephalitis (PDF, 185 KB)

Ascariasis (PDF, 170 KB)

Botulism (PDF, 174 KB)

Campylobacteriosis (PDF, 177 KB)

C. auris (Candida auris) (PDF, 178 KB)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) (PDF, 362)

CRE (Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales) (PDF, 147 KB)

CRS (Congenital Rubella Syndrome) (PDF, 154 KB)

Cryptosporidiosis (PDF, 156 KB)

Cyclosporiasis (PDF, 151 KB)

Diphtheria (PDF, 252 KB)

Ebola (PDF, 173 KB)

Fascioliasis (PDF, 152 KB)

GAS (Streptococcus pyogenes, Invasive) (PDF, 342 KB)

Gastroenteritis Outbreaks (PDF, 182 KB)

GBS (Group A Streptococcus agalactiae, Invasive) (PDF, 317 KB)

Haemophilus influenzae (PDF, 989 KB)

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, post-diarrheal (PDF, 184 KB)

HAV (Hepatitis A virus) (PDF, 216 KB)

HBV (Hepatitis B virus, Acute and Perinatal) (PDF, 280 KB)

HCV (Hepatitis C virus) (PDF, 136 KB)

HEV (Hepatitis E virus) (PDF, 143 KB)

Hookworm (PDF, 151 KB)

Influenza A Novel Variant (PDF, 443 KB)

Influenza Associated Pediatric Mortality (PDF, 244 KB)

Legionellosis (PDF, 296 KB)

Listeriosis (PDF, 175 KB)

MDR-A (Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter) (PDF, 411 KB) 

Measles (PDF, 898 KB)

Meningococcal Infection, Invasive (PDF, 493 KB)

Mpox (PDF, 195 KB)

Mumps (PDF, 488 KB)

Norovirus Outbreaks (PDF, 140 KB)

Novel Coronavirus Other (PDF, 465 KB) For current  2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) guidance documents and information please see the DSHS Novel Coronavirus website: /coronavirus/.

Novel Flu (PDF, 478 KB)

Paragonimiasis (PDF, 157 KB)

Pediatric Flu Death (PDF, 436 KB)

Pertussis (PDF, 599 KB)

Polio (PDF, 155 KB)

Rubella (PDF, 179 KB)

Salmonella Paratyphi (PDF, 156 KB)

Salmonellosis (Non-Paratyphi,Non-Typhi) (PDF, 177 KB)

STEC (Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli) (PDF, 215 KB)

Shigellosis (PDF, 183 KB)

Streptococcus pneumoniae (PDF, 998 KB)

Tetanus (PDF, 164 KB)

Tick-borne Relapsing Fever (PDF, 145 KB)

Trichuriasis (PDF, 148 KB)

Typhoid Fever (PDF, 198 KB)

Varicella (PDF, 504 KB)

Vibrio Infections including Cholera (PDF, 200 KB)

Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (Non-Ebola) (PDF, 141 KB)

VISA/VRSA (Vancomycin Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus/Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) (PDF, 182 KB)

Yersiniosis (PDF, 175 KB)

Appendix A: Additional Flowcharts and Tables (PDF, 377 KB)

Appendix B: Out of State Exposure Notifications (PDF, 181 KB)

Appendix C: DSHS Laboratory Resources (PDF, 443 KB)

Appendix D: Summary of Updates (PDF, 179 KB)

Appendix E: Additional Resources (PDF, 128 KB)

Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations (PDF, 87 KB)