Reporting viruses

Accessed August 6, Updated by: Jatin M. Editorial team. Reportable diseases. Reportable diseases are divided into several groups: Mandatory written reporting: A report of the disease must be made in writing.

Examples are gonorrhea and salmonellosis. Mandatory reporting by telephone: The provider must make a report by phone. Examples are rubeola measles and pertussis whooping cough. Report of total number of cases. Examples are chickenpox and influenza. To encourage partnership with those physicians or other health professionals who report, most state health departments use newsletters to provide feedback of data to the health care professionals who contribute to the database.

Media coverage, driven by community and medical interest in newly emerging diseases or conditions, may also improve reporting. For example, a significant increase in reporting of toxic shock syndrome was observed after media publicity first appeared Surveillance activities are often strengthened when the disease is given a high priority, such as when primary prevention of most or all cases is feasible eg, measles , or when the disease is severe and newly emerging eg, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, toxic shock syndrome.

These activities frequently include working closely with hospitals to identify cases, reviewing hospital discharge records, and working closely with clinicians who are likely to diagnose and treat patients. Examples of such increased surveillance activities include those to estimate rates of occurrence and to describe the epidemiology of toxic shock syndrome 22 and hepatitis non-A, non-B 23 , to determine the adequacy of treatment of gonorrhea in a community 24 , and to monitor the occurrence of Reye's syndrome following public warning to avoid use of salicylates in young febrile children Some surveillance systems are unique, being designed to fit the specific needs of the disease or condition; for example, nationwide surveillance for Guillain-Barre syndrome following the initiation of the National Influenza Immunization Program in October was accomplished through a network of neurologists Others have used provider-based surveillance systems 9,27 , periodic reviews of hospital discharge summaries for selected infectious diseases 28 , laboratory-based surveillance systems 14,29,30 , and other non-provider-based systems 31, However, none of these systems have proved completely successful either.

Provider networks may provide more detailed information, but the provider's patients may not be representative of the general population. Also, although existing databases such as computerized hospital discharge summaries are useful to evaluate the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, a lack of timeliness often precludes the computerized hospital database from being the primary source of such data. In addition, there remain diseases eg, Lyme disease for which there is no sensitive and specific laboratory test and that, although serious, may be treated on an outpatient basis and thus could not be identified by many of these alternate data sets.

The tools for surveillance are improving. Computer-based telecommunication has improved the efficiency of disease reporting, and databases may be better managed and analyzed. The National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance, formerly the Epidemiologic Surveillance Project, is a computer-based telecommunications system initiated in for reporting disease surveillance data to the CDC All states now use this system for the weekly reporting of cases of 44 of the 49 nationally notifiable diseases.

The computerized system allows more case detail and analytic capability than previously, when only summary reports were available by telephone; disease distribution can be mapped by county, onset dates of disease can be examined more precisely, and comparative information on the distribution of age, race, and sex is available.

There is also an increasing sophistication of statistical methods for evaluating surveillance data eg, to estimate completeness of reporting and for analysis eg, to detect spatial and temporal trends The usefulness of surveillance data and the programs to which the data are applied vary with the disease, but generally such data are used to monitor short- and long-term trends, to alert health professionals to important changes in trends, and to estimate the magnitude of morbidity and mortality.

Surveillance facilitates epidemiologic and laboratory research, both by providing cases for more detailed investigation or a case-control study and by directing which research avenues are most important. More specifically, all individuals reported with selected diseases eg, tuberculosis, syphilis are routinely followed up by health departments either directly or through their physician or other health care provider to ensure initiation of appropriate therapy for the individual.

Health departments also provide diagnostic tests and prophylactic therapy, as needed, for contacts of persons with infectious conditions such as hepatitis and tuberculosis. Counseling and partner notification activities may be provided to persons such as those infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Reports of unusual clusters of disease are often followed by an epidemic investigation to identify and remove any common-source exposure or to reduce other associated risks of transmission.

Surveillance data also provide the basis for determining public health priorities and for planning and implementing prevention and control programs. Policymakers use these data to determine overall priorities for resources for public health programs, and, in certain instances, these data may be the basis for geographic distribution of funds for treatment eg, federal reimbursement to states for zidovidine azidothymidine, or AZT therapy in individuals with severe human immunodeficiency virus disease.

In addition to directing resources, these data are the basis for evaluating the success or failure of prevention and control programs eg, initiatives to reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. The CDC also provides surveillance data to the World Health Organization in accordance with international reporting standards designed to limit the spread of quarantinable and vaccine-preventable diseases Thus, through participation in disease-reporting systems, physicians and other health care providers are integral to ensuring that public health resources are used most effectively.

However, during training of clinicians, little attention has been given to the legal requirements or the importance of reporting. A study of New York City physicians demonstrated that many do not know the requirements or methods for reporting in their state; reasons given by physicians for nonreporting included not knowing which diseases are required to be reported, not knowing how a disease should be reported, concerns regarding confidentiality, and perceptions that the list of reportable diseases is too extensive A more recent study in Vermont concluded that physicians often failed to report because they assumed that the laboratory would have reported the case Certainly, for many diseases, the laboratory is a vital component, but the physician and other primary health care providers are still integral to disease-reporting systems.

Although surveillance systems do not need complete reporting to be useful, underreporting may adversely affect public health efforts by distorting trends observed in the incidence of disease 38,39 , distorting attributable risk estimates for disease acquisitions 22,38 , preventing accurate assessment of potential benefits or impact of control programs 40 , preventing timely identification of disease outbreaks 39,41 , distorting observed periods at risk and geographic distribution of cases 39 , and undermining the success of prevention and control programs for tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, and other communicable diseases, such as immunization programs 10,24, The participation of the clinician is critical in determining the value of a reporting system as a basis for directing prevention and control activities and as an indicator of their success or failure.

Thus, the role of the physicians and others providing health care has changed little since it was underscored in a US Public Health Service document 74 years ago: Unfortunately many participating physicians have little knowledge of the methods of health administration and.

The practicing physician A list of the state and territorial epidemiologists and their office addresses and commercial telephone numbers as of November 1, , follows:. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.

Contact GPO for current prices. Department of Health and Human Services. Hull, MD Reporting of cases of communicable disease is important in the planning and evaluation of disease prevention and control programs, in the assurance of appropriate medical therapy, and in the detection of common-source outbreaks. COMMENT In most developed countries, systems for reporting notifiable diseases have evolved as the basis of infectious disease surveillance A list of the state and territorial epidemiologists and their office addresses and commercial telephone numbers as of November 1, , follows: State and Territorial Epidemiologists as of November 1, Alabama Charles H.

Vital statistics: a discussion of what they are and their uses in public health administration. Public Health Rep. Letter from Massachusetts State Board of Health to physicians. Atlanta, Ga: Centers for Disease Control; Fowler W. Laws and regulations relating to morbidity reporting. The reportable diseases: diseases and conditions required to be reported in the several states.

Benenson AS, ed. Control of Communicable Diseases in Man. Centers for Disease Control. National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act: requirements for permanent vaccination records and for reporting of selected events after vaccination. After Hours. Routinely notifiable diseases contact:. STDs including record requests. Lead Poisoning. All other routinely notifiable diseases.

Immediately Notifiable Disease and Conditions. Food poisoning. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. Hemorrhagic fever, all. Acute HIV infection. Birth of infant to HIV infected woman. New HIV positive result in a pregnant woman.

Pregnancy in HIV infected woman. Routinely Notifiable Disease and Conditions. Chlamydia trachomatis , including LGV. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Gonococcal infections. Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Hepatitis A. Hepatitis B, including pregnancy in a Hepatitis B infected woman. Hepatitis, other viral. Lead poisoning. Leprosy Hansen's disease. Why Report a Disease? What happens once a case is reported? Once a case is reported, the PDPH Division of Disease Control performs the following tasks as needed: Interviews cases and clinicians to: Identify risk factors and other potential contacts. Assess the need for preventive treatments such as antibiotics and vaccines.

Analyzes disease report data to determine important trends and recognize any emerging potential incidents of disease. Develops disease guidance and infection control recommendation based on local disease trends and resources.

Coordinates specialized lab testing performed at the city, state or federal public health labs to confirm diagnosis. Sends health alerts to clinicians and public health official's regarding Philadelphia specific data and guidance for infectious disease situations of public health concern.

Reporting Form Description Fillable notifiable disease case report form. How to Report. What to Report.