Reportable diseases

Definition

Reportable diseases are diseases considered to be of great public health importance. In the United States, local, state, and national agencies (for example, county and state health departments or the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]) require that these diseases be reported when they are diagnosed by health care providers or laboratories.

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

Alternative Names

Notifiable diseases

Information

All US states have a reportable diseases list. It is the responsibility of your provider, not you, to report cases of these diseases. Many diseases on the list must also be reported to the CDC.

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.
  • Cancer. Cancer cases are reported to the state Cancer Registry.

Diseases reportable to the CDC include:

The county or state health department will try to find the source of many of these illnesses, such as food poisoning. In the case of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), the county or state will try to locate sexual contacts of infected people to make sure they are disease-free or are treated if they are already infected.

The information gained from reporting allows the county or state to make informed decisions and laws about activities and the environment, such as:

  • Animal control
  • Food handling
  • Immunization programs
  • Insect control
  • STD tracking
  • Water purification

The provider is required by law to report these diseases. By cooperating with state health workers, you can help them locate the source of an infection or prevent the spread of an epidemic.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). www.cdc.gov/nndss/index.html. Updated March 15, 2024. Accessed June 19, 2024.

Review Date: 5/19/2023
Reviewed By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

adam.com