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Illinois to Use Internet to Report Disease Outbreaks

By AP/KWMU

Springfield, ILL – Reporting infectious diseases to Illinois officials soon will be a computer-mouse click away.

The Public Health Department says a Web-based reporting system will help them identify potential bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases days earlier than the current paper reporting system.

The state is installing the electronic reporting system this month at health departments in Chicago and nine counties.

Officials say the system will be running in all 94 local health departments by mid-May and in hospitals and laboratories within five years.

Public Health Director Doctor Eric Whitaker says the system will allow the state to track illnesses by address, county and symptoms.

The information can be immediately sent to the U-S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal funds are paying for the program.

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