Hours: M-F: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
After Hours Phone: 563-326-8618
DEAF RELAY: (Hearing or Speech Impaired) 711 or 1-800-735-2942
Number is available 24/7 to report public health emergencies.
Weekend Disease Reporting Hotline: 1-800-362-2736
Health Department
Administrative Center
600 W. 4th St.
Davenport, IA 52801-1003
600 W. 4th St.
Davenport, IA 52801-1003
Phone: 563-326-8618
Fax: 563-326-8774
Health Alerts & Information
This page contains information on current or emerging public health issues and relevant guidance for Scott County residents.
Ebola
What to Know
Ebola disease is caused by a group of viruses that can cause serious illness and death. There is a current outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) occurring in certain countries, which is a type of Ebola disease. Ebola disease is spread through contact with body fluids of an infected person. You cannot get Ebola from simply being near someone or passing them in public spaces because it does not spread through the air.
Exposure Risk
As of May 2026, the exposure risk to Ebola to Scott County residents who have not traveled to a country with Ebola cases is VERY LOW. There are zero (0) confirmed cases in the US at this time.
Recommended Actions
No specific actions are recommended to the general public at this time. Travelers arriving from affected areas are being routed through select airports for enhanced entry screening.
Resources
- CDC - Ebola Outbreak: https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html
Hantavirus
What to Know
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause serious illness and death. Hantaviruses can cause diseases, including hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. There are currently individuals being monitored related to an outbreak of Andes virus, which is a type of hantavirus, among passengers and crew of a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean in early May 2026. Outbreaks of hantavirus are rare since most do not spread person to person.
Exposure Risk
As of May 2026, the exposure risk to hantavirus to Scott County residents is VERY LOW. There are zero (0) confirmed cases in the US at this time.
Recommended Actions
No specific actions are recommended to the general public at this time.
Resources
- CDC - Andes Virus Outbreak on a Cruise Ship: https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/situation-summary/index.html
Measles
What to Know
Measles is an acute, highly communicable viral disease that is spread through the air by droplets from the nose, throat, and mouth of an infected person. A person may breathe in the droplets or touch a surface contaminated with the droplets and become infected.
Exposure Risk
As of May 2026, the exposure risk to measles to Scott County residents is MODERATE. There are 1,900+ cases in the US so far this year, including cases in all surrounding states of Iowa (Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri). There are currently zero (0) confirmed measles cases in Iowa.
Recommended Actions
The best way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated. The MMR vaccine is safe, thoroughly tested, and highly effective in protecting both you and your community. Two doses, given at least 28 days apart, offer the best protection. Visit our Measles page for vaccination recommendations based on your age and risk level.
Resources
- CDC - Measles Outbreaks: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/
- Scott County Health Department - Measles: https://www.scottcountyiowa.gov/health/measles
New World Screwworm
What to Know
New World screwworm (NWS) is a fly that lays eggs in open wounds and body openings (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or genitals), which hatch into parasitic maggots that feed on living tissue or flesh. As of June 8, 2026, the USDA confirmed detection of NWS in livestock and companion animals in Texas and New Mexico. NWS infections do not regularly occur in the US, but cases have occurred in travelers returning from areas where flies are present. Symptoms can include feeling or seeing maggots within a skin wound or sore, painful skin wounds or sores that worsen within a few days, a foul-smelling odor from the site, and bleeding from open sores.
Exposure Risk
As of June 2026, the exposure risk of NWS to Scott County residents is VERY LOW. Person-to-person transmission does not occur. Patients are not at risk for NWS infestation unless they traveled to an affected area within the two weeks before symptom onset.
Recommended Actions
No specific actions are recommended to the general public at this time.
Resources
- CDC - New World Screwworm Outbreak: https://www.cdc.gov/new-world-screwworm/situation-summary/
- USDA - Stop Screwworm: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animals/animal-health/livestock-and-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm
Ticks
What to Know
Emergency room visits for tick bites are higher than normal in many parts of the country right now, including Iowa, according to the CDC's Tick Bite Tracker. Ticks can carry many different pathogens that can cause human disease. Many tickborne diseases have similar signs and symptoms, including fever/chills, aches and pains, and rashes. Lyme disease is the most common tickborne disease in the US, with an estimated 476,000 patients treated for Lyme disease each year.
Exposure Risk
As of May 2026, the risk of tick bites to Scott County residents is HIGH. There have been 61 emergency room visits for tick bites per 100,000 emergency room visits in the Midwest region so far this year. In 2022, there were 70,000+ total reported cases of tickborne diseases in the US.
Recommended Actions
If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove the tick as soon as possible. If you develop a rash or fever within several days to weeks after removing a tick, see your doctor. Learn more about reducing tick exposure and how to remove ticks here: https://www.scottcountyiowa.gov/health/post/2026/04/28/tick-season-here.
Resources
- Iowa HHS - Tick and Mosquito Borne Diseases: https://hhs.iowa.gov/health-prevention/disease-information/tick-and-mosquito-borne-diseases
- CDC - Press Release: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/2026-cdc-data-show-weekly-er-visits-for-tick-bites-higher-than-usual.html
Iowa Health Alert Network
The Iowa Health Alert Network (HAN) system is a secure, web-based communication system which enables a rapid distribution of critical health information between Iowa HHS and local partners throughout the state. To receive notification of news alerts posted to the Iowa HAN, follow this link to subscribe to the HAN listserv.