Infectious Disease Overview

Infectious diseases are a continuing threat to all people, regardless of their health profile. They cause tremendous sickness and death, and place a huge financial burden on society. Many infectious diseases are controlled by modern preventive techniques, such as vaccines and antimicrobials. However, new diseases, such as avian-strain influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are emerging threats to the nation's health and present new challenges to the nation's public health preparedness efforts.

NACCHO is dedicated to strengthening local health departments' (LHDs') infectious disease infrastructure. LHDs are frontline responders who collaborate with hospitals, private providers, and community health centers to control diseases using enhanced surveillance, strategic planning, and joint preparedness exercises. As the challenges to LHDs' infectious and communicable disease programs continue to grow, NACCHO will continue to address the critical issues facing LHDs, including capacity and availability of preparedness funding.

Ninety-four percent of LHDs surveyed by NACCHO provide communicable disease control services either directly, by contracting them out, or a combination of the two. Eighty-four percent of respondents provide epidemiology and surveillance services either directly, by contracting them out, or a combination of the two.