High Consequence Infectious Diseases (HCIDs) are highly contagious illnesses that pose serious risks to public health. These diseases can cause widespread illness, high mortality rates, and major social and economic disruption. Common characteristics of HCIDs include rapid transmission, severe illness, high fatality rates, strain on healthcare systems, and difficulty in containment and treatment.
Examples of HCIDs include Ebola virus, highly pathogenic influenza strains, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and other emerging infectious agents. Effective management of HCIDs requires strong disease surveillance, rapid response protocols, and specialized infection control measures to prevent outbreaks and protect communities.
HCID Resources
The following links provide more information for healthcare agencies and organizations to utilize as a framework when preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a high-consequence pathogen in North Carolina.