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Reportable diseases


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Legionnaires' disease organism, legionella
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Definition

Reportable diseases are diseases considered to be of great public health importance. Local, state, and national agencies (for example, county and state health departments or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) require that such diseases be reported when they are diagnosed by doctors or laboratories.

Reporting allows for the collection of statistics that show how often the disease occurs. This, in turn, helps researchers identify disease trends and track disease outbreaks. This can help control future outbreaks.


Alternative Names

Notifiable diseases


Information

All states have a "reportable diseases" list. It is the responsibility of the health care provider, not the patient, to report cases of these diseases. Many of the diseases on the lists must also be reported to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control (CDC).




Reportable diseases are divided into several groups:

  • Mandatory written reporting: This means a report of the disease must be made in writing. Examples are gonorrhea and salmonellosis.
  • Mandatory reporting by telephone: This means the health care 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.
  • Cancer: Cancer cases are reported to the state Cancer Registry.

A typical state list may appear as follows. Diseases marked with an asterisk (*) were reportable to the CDC at the national level in 2006:

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