Notice to Readers Changes in National Notifiable Diseases Data Presentation

This issue of MMWR incorporates modifications to Tables I and II, Cases of Notifiable Diseases, United States. This year, the purposes of the modifications are to add diseases recently designated nationally notifiable by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, in conjunction with CDC, and to group together selected vaccine-preventable diseases. As of January 1, 1996, a total of 52 infectious diseases were designated as notifiable at the national level (Table_1). Except where otherwise indicated, the data presented in the notifiable disease tables are transmitted to CDC through the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS).

Table I

For the infectious diseases added during 1995 to the list of nationally notifiable diseases that are reportable in 25-39 states, data will now be included in Table I; these diseases are cryptosporidiosis, California encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, pediatric human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and streptococcal toxic-shock syndrome. Because not all nationally notifiable diseases are reportable in every state or territory, the reported numbers of cases of some diseases in Table I represent only the totals from states or territories in which the diseases are reportable. In this table, pediatric HIV infection refers to HIV infection in persons aged less than 13 years -- in one state, less than 6 years. In addition, "primary encephalitis" is no longer nationally notifiable, although arboviral encephalitides are reportable by specific etiology.

Table II

Cumulative totals of the number of cases of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection and Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection are presented by state and territory. To assist in characterizing the emerging problem of E. coli O157:H7 infection, data about such infections are presented from the Public Health Laboratory Information System (PHLIS) as well as NETSS. E. coli cases reported to PHLIS are based on state of report (rather than state of residence) and the date the specimen was collected; however, reporting of such cases will be delayed until confirmatory laboratory testing is completed.

Data about vaccine-preventable diseases will be moved from Table II and grouped together in a separate table labeled Table III. Although the serotype of invasive Haemophilus influenzae is not routinely reported through NETSS, serotype b is preventable by routine childhood vaccination; therefore, reports of invasive H. influenzae will be moved from Table I to Table III.

Reported by: Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. Div of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Epidemiology Program Office, CDC.

TABLE 1. Infectious diseases designated as notifiable at the national level * -- United
States, 1996
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acquired immunodeficiency        Haemophilus influenzae,         Rabies, animal
  syndrome                         invasive disease              Rabies, human
Anthrax                          Hansen disease (Leprosy)        Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Botulism +                       Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome   Rubella
Brucellosis                      Hemolytic uremic syndrome,      Salmonellosis +
Chancroid +                        post-diarrheal                Shigellosis
Chlamydia trachomatis, genital   Hepatitis A                     Streptococcal disease, invasive,
  infection                      Hepatitis B                       Group A +
Cholera                          Hepatitis, C/non-A, non-B       Streptococcus pneumoniae,
Coccidioidomycosis +             HIV infection, pediatric          drug-resistant +
Congenital rubella syndrome      Legionellosis                   Streptococcal toxic-shock
Congenital syphilis              Lyme Disease                      syndrome
Cryptosporidiosis                Malaria                         Syphilis
Diphtheria                       Measles                         Tetanus
Encephalitis, California         Meningococcal disease           Toxic-shock syndrome
Encephalitis, eastern equine     Mumps                           Trichinosis
Encephalitis, St. Louis          Pertussis                       Tuberculosis
Encephalitis, western equine     Plague                          Typhoid fever
Escherichia coli O157:H7         Poliomyelitis, paralytic        Yellow fever +
Gonorrhea                        Psittacosis
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Although varicella is not a nationally notifiable disease, the Council of State and Territorial
  Epidemiologists recommends reporting of cases of this disease to CDC.
+ Not currently published in the weekly tables.
===================================================================================================

Disclaimer   All MMWR HTML versions of articles are electronic conversions from ASCII text into HTML. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users should not rely on this HTML document, but are referred to the electronic PDF version and/or the original MMWR paper copy for the official text, figures, and tables. An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800. Contact GPO for current prices.

Page converted: 09/19/98

HOME  |  ABOUT MMWR  |  MMWR SEARCH  |  DOWNLOADS  |  RSS |  CONTACT POLICY  |  DISCLAIMER  |  ACCESSIBILITY

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd, MailStop E-90, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A Department of Health and Human Services

This page last reviewed 5/2/01