A reportable infectious disease or condition is one for which regular, frequent, and timely information regarding individual cases is considered necessary for the prevention and control of the disease or condition. In 1961, the CDC assumed responsibility for the collection of data on nationally notifiable diseases.
Monitoring surveillance data enables public health authorities to detect sudden changes in disease or condition occurrence and distribution, identify changes in agents and host factors, and detect changes in health care practices. National-level surveillance data is compiled from case notification reports of nationally notifiable infectious diseases and conditions submitted from the state, territory, and selected local health departments to the CDC.
Physicians must report all reportable diseases to his/her county health department. Your county health department passes on the information to the CDC. For more information on reporting procedures, contact your county or state health department.