Disease surveillance — Montana
Respiratory virus levels, disease-outbreak surveillance, and weekly communicable-disease counts from CDC RESP-NET and MDHHS. The three feeds answer one question together: what's circulating in Montana this week?
Montana Respiratory Virus Level — Flu, COVID-19, RSV Surveillance
Source: CDC NREVSS · state public health · WastewaterScan · live via /api/publichealth
CDC and state public-health surveillance of flu, COVID-19, and RSV activity. Weekly trend data, hospitalizations, and wastewater levels.
CDC and state public-health agencies track three main respiratory viruses each week: influenza (flu), SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), and RSV. They use a combination of test-positivity rates, hospital admissions, emergency-room visits, and (newer) wastewater surveillance. Levels are reported as Minimal, Low, Moderate, High, or Very High. Peak respiratory season is December through February.
- Wash hands often. Cover coughs. Stay home when sick.
- Get a yearly flu shot — most states offer free or low-cost vaccines at pharmacies and county health departments.
- Update your COVID-19 vaccine annually if you're 65+, immunocompromised, or pregnant.
- Older adults and infants should ask about RSV vaccines (Arexvy, Abrysvo, Beyfortus for infants).
Montana Disease Outbreaks — MDHHS Reportable Conditions
Source: State public health · NNDSS (CDC) · live via /api/publichealth
Active disease outbreak investigations — measles, hepatitis A, foodborne illness, and other reportable conditions tracked by state public health agencies.
Every state requires healthcare providers and labs to report a list of specific diseases (typically 70–100) to the state — including measles, hepatitis A, tuberculosis, salmonella, E. coli O157, Legionnaires', and Lyme disease. State public health investigates clusters and posts outbreak updates when public action is warranted (e.g., a restaurant exposure or a campus measles case). Data rolls up to CDC's National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS).
- If you think you've been exposed to an outbreak, contact your county or state health department — most have a 24-hour nurse line.
- Make sure your routine vaccines are current (MMR, Hep A, Tdap, varicella).
- For foodborne outbreaks: keep receipts and a list of recent meals — public health investigators will need them.
- Report a possible outbreak: call your county or state health department directly.
Montana Communicable Disease Surveillance — by County
Source: State Disease Surveillance System · CDC NNDSS
State Disease Surveillance Systems track reportable communicable diseases. Weekly case counts by county for measles, hepatitis, Lyme, salmonella, and more.
Every state runs a secure web-based Disease Surveillance System that healthcare providers and labs use to report legally reportable conditions in real time — typically 70–100 conditions ranging from common infections like Lyme and salmonella to rare ones like Creutzfeldt-Jakob and anthrax. Aggregate reports are released weekly. State surveillance data drives public-health response when a case cluster emerges; data also rolls up to CDC's NNDSS for national tracking.
- Suspect a reportable illness? Your doctor or lab will file it for you.
- For unusual illness clusters (e.g., 3+ people sick after the same event): call your county or state health department directly.
- Tick-bite illnesses (Lyme, anaplasmosis): the CDC tick-borne disease page has prevention and symptom guidance.
- For travel-related concerns or international exposures, the CDC Travel page covers risks by destination.