Medical Updates on Communicable Diseases

Communicable diseases are medical issues that government organizations and agencies take seriously when it comes to keeping society safe and knowledgeable on diseases caused by viruses and bacterium. Organizations like the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and local health departments keep track of infectious diseases, and they do so through reporting systems. Reports come in from doctor's offices, hospitals, schools, day care centers or any facility where communicable diseases are likely to occur with person-to-person contact.

Role of the CDC in Tracking Communicable Diseases

• The CDC is a federal organization under the Department of Human and Health Services. Though this organization is based in Atlanta, Georgia, through its offices of scientific data, surveillance, statistics and laboratory information, they are able to keep all of U.S. health facilities, state and local governments, and the public informed on the update or status of communicable diseases that become a possible threat to the population. They can detect and monitor a possible threat as well as track where the disease is coming from.

Behind the Scene with WHO

• The World Health Organization is an international agency, operating out of Geneva, Switzerland. It is responsible for monitoring and providing a guide on global health issues and supplying resources for better public health. They have medical updates on communicable diseases. Their data comes through the WHO Statistical Information System, and the information is published annually. Their information covers such things as risk factors, health services as well as infectious diseases and much more. The WHO's system of monitoring medical alerts comes through cases being reported and consultations with their regional offices and member states. Just as the CDC, WHO, depends on cases being reported to the organization.

Researching: Work of NIH

• Another resource in keeping medical updates on communicable diseases lies in the National Institutes of Health. They are involved in medical research. Their researching leads to prevention, detection, diagnoses, and treatment of communicable diseases such as HIV, anthrax and tuberculosis. NIH does research in hospitals, medical schools and in universities, doing both clinical and lab research. To alert the public of their findings, they have news releases and health newsletters as well as communication through a radio podcast every two weeks. They also have a 24-hour radio station that gives updates on the latest research and health campaigns.

Disease-Reporting Programs

• Another source of providing information and medical updates on disease comes through the local city or state health departments. When someone becomes infected with a communicable disease, a report from the attending physician will have to be given to the health department, so they can track all disease outbreaks that are in an immediate area. There are state programs that have communicable disease tracking divisions. For instance, Colorado has a disease epidemiology program that investigates the cases;its monitors the causes of infectious diseases that affect the public in that state through the Colorado Electronic Disease Reporting System.

Guidelines for Reporting Communicable Diseases

• Every city health department has its own guidelines as to how and when reporting is handled. For instance, Durham, California, has a routine monthly reporting, next business day reporting and prompt reporting for disease outbreaks. Cases such as chickenpox are done on a monthly basis, which requires filling out a form. For diseases such as measles and meningitis, it requires immediate reporting. Next day reporting is done on diseases such as mumps and pertussis. Disease outbreaks, such as influenza, require prompt reporting to the department of health. For prompt, next day and outbreak reporting; calling the health department is required.