§ 35-1-223 — Cooperation to prevent spread of contagious diseases; report of epidemics or diseases required from local health officials

The department of health shall give all information that may be
reasonably requested concerning any threatened danger to the
public health, and the local health officers and all the state,
county, city and town officers in the state shall give the like
information to the state health officer, and the department and
said state, county, city and town officers, insofar as legal and
practicable, shall cooperate to prevent the spread of diseases,
and for the protection of life and the promotion of health
within the sphere of their respective duties. When in any
county, an epidemic or contagious or infectious disease
including venereal diseases, is known to exist, it shall be the
duty of the county health officer of such county to immediately
notify the state health officer of the existence of the same,
with such facts as to its cause and continuance as may then be
known.