Infectious Disease
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Infectious diseases are caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. A
person may become ill with an infectious disease through contact with an infected person
(directly or indirectly), an insect or animal carrying disease, or contaminated food or water.
pub Infectious diseases include:
pub Infectious diseases include:
- Foodborne and waterborne illnesses
- Zoonotic diseases, which spread from animals to people
- Vaccine-preventable diseases (i.e., Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, pertussis, influenza, HPV, and measles)
- Respiratory virus infections (i.e., COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), Respiratory Syncytial Virus [RSV], Enterovirus, and Rhinovirus)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
- Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are infections that patients get while receiving medical treatment for another condition
- Bloodborne diseases (i.e., Hepatitis C virus)
Infectious diseases are a major cause of illness, disability, and death. For example, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or
48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne
diseases.1
Infectious diseases are also associated with substantial healthcare costs. Healthcare-associated
infections alone account for billions of dollars of health care costs in the United States each
year.
Many infectious disease illnesses and deaths are preventable. By monitoring disease incidence and studying how and why infectious diseases spread, public health aims to stop illness from spreading and prevent diseases from occurring in the future.
The latest Utah updates for COVID-19 can be found at https://coronavirus.utah.gov/, a website launched by the Utah Department of Health. The site includes case counts, the number of deaths due to COVID-19, the number of Utahns tested and hospitilized for thedisease, as well as the latest information about statewide public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Utah.
Many infectious disease illnesses and deaths are preventable. By monitoring disease incidence and studying how and why infectious diseases spread, public health aims to stop illness from spreading and prevent diseases from occurring in the future.
The latest Utah updates for COVID-19 can be found at https://coronavirus.utah.gov/, a website launched by the Utah Department of Health. The site includes case counts, the number of deaths due to COVID-19, the number of Utahns tested and hospitilized for thedisease, as well as the latest information about statewide public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Utah.
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Foodborne Illnesses and
Germs. Accessed 2/27/19 at +
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs.html.
Every living organism is at risk of illness from infectious diseases. Some factors that are associated
with the probability of becoming ill with infectious disease include:
Illness with infectious disease occurs when an individual is exposed to a disease causing pathogen by the correct mode of transmission while that individual is particularly susceptible to the pathogen.
- Individual health status
- Age
- Immunization status
- Community immunization status
- Environmental conditions
- Region or location of residence
- Proximity to sources of disease transmission
- Occupation
- Behavior
- Illicit substance use (including injecting drugs)
Illness with infectious disease occurs when an individual is exposed to a disease causing pathogen by the correct mode of transmission while that individual is particularly susceptible to the pathogen.
To reduce the risk of illness it is important to control infectious disease by disrupting disease
transmission. This can be accomplished by:
- Vaccination: Infectious diseases that are vaccine preventable are controlled by providing immunity to susceptible individuals. The more people that are vaccinated in a community the less likely an infectious disease is able to spread and make people ill.
- Hand Washing: Hand washing decreases the amount of infectious diseases that we are potentially exposed to by physically removing pathogenic organisms from our hands.
- Food Safety and Water Quality: Following good food safety and handling practices decreases the quantity of pathogenic organisms that are ingested.
- Stay Home When Sick: Prevent spreading illness to others.
- Use Precautions: When outdoor use insect repellent and protective clothing to protect yourself from insects that may carry infectious diseases
- Condoms: Consistent and correct use of latex condoms reduces the risk of STDs and HIV transmission. Abstaining from sexual activity, or being in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner are also ways to avoid the transmission of STDs and HIV.
- Clean Needles: Sharing needles and other items contaminated with blood with others who may be infected with a bloodborne disease such as HIV or Hepatitis C is a direct route for the virus to enter the blood stream. Using clean needles and not sharing them will reduce the risk of spreading disease.
Reportable infectious diseases in the United States are tracked by local, state, and federal
governments utilizing a cooperative relationship with clinicians, laboratorians, and community
service providers. When an individual is identified with an infectious disease clinicians and
laboratorians report to their local or state health department. All disease specific information
is collected regarding the infectious disease event and is then reported to the CDC. The
information collected can be used for many purposes at many different jurisdictional levels such
as to:
The information collected during the disease investigation process has all personal identifiers removed and is then available to the public. This de-identified public data is used by both public and private entities for research, further supporting the importance of tracking infectious diseases.
- Educate the public
- Guide policy and public health decisions
- Alert clinicians to aid in diagnosis
- Educate the medical community
- Implement public health interventions, including during epidemics
- Provide partner services
- Describe infectious disease in different populations
- Identify risk factors for disease
The information collected during the disease investigation process has all personal identifiers removed and is then available to the public. This de-identified public data is used by both public and private entities for research, further supporting the importance of tracking infectious diseases.
- Chlamydia Cases
- Foodborne Illness - Campylobacter Infections
- Foodborne Illness - Salmonella Infections
- Foodborne Illness - Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) Infections
- Gonorrhea Cases
- Hepatitis A Infections
- HIV Infections
- Immunization - Influenza, Adults
- Immunizations - Influenza, Children and Teens
- Immunizations - HPV, Adolescents
- Immunizations - Pneumonia, Adults
- Influenza Virus Infections
- Measles Infections
- Pertussis Cases
- Recreational Waterborne Disease Outbreaks (RWBDO)
- Retail Food Safety
- Syphilis Cases - Primary and Secondary
- Tuberculosis Cases
- West Nile Virus Infections
- Zoonotic Illnesses - Tularemia Cases
Communicable Disease
Immunizations - Adults (BRFSS)
- Influenza Vaccination - Crude Rates
- Influenza Vaccination - Age-adjusted Rates
- Pneumococcal Vaccination - Crude Rates
- Pneumococcal Vaccination - Age-adjusted Rates
HIV Test - Adults (BRFSS)
Various reports regarding infectious diseases can be found on the Bureau of Epidemiology website at:
http://health.utah.gov/epi/data/
- October 2020 Spotlight: COVID-19 and the Return to Schools
- September 2020 Spotlight: Emergency Department Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- August 2020 Spotlight: How COVID-19 Disproportionately Affects HII Areas
- May 2020 Utah Health Status Update: The Syndemic of HIV and STDs
- April 2020 Utah Health Status Update: COVID-19 Outbreak in Utah
- April 2020 Spotlight: COVID-19 Website and Additional Resources
- December 2019 Utah Health Status Update: HIV Getting to Zero Plan
- 2018: Annual HIV Surveillance Report
- Special Edition Utah Health Status Update: Vaccination Status and School Type of Outbreak-related Varicella Cases in Schools, Utah, 2011-2016
- Special Edition Utah Health Status Update: Ending the HIV Epidemic
- May 2019 Spotlight: Addressing the Co-epidemics of Substance Abuse and Disease Transmission in Utah
- 2017: Annual HIV Surveillance Report
- Special Edition Utah Health Status Update: Hepatitis A Outbreak in Utah
- Special Edition Breaking News: Investigation of an Increased Incidence of Early Onset Group B Streptococcus Infections in Utah
- Special Edition Community Health Spotlight: Increased Rotavirus Incidence in Utah
- Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2008-2017
- HIV Care Continuum and Linkage to Care Supplemental Report
- Tuberculosis in Utah: Five Year Statistical Review 2013-2017
- June 2018 Utah Health Status Update: Hepatitis C Prevention as Part of a Harm Reduction Strategy
- 2016: HIV Annual Surveillance Report
- Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, Utah, 2007-2016
- November 2017 Community Health Spotlight: Utah Syringe Exchange Program
- HIV Integrated Epidemiologic Profile 2015
- Tuberculosis in Utah, 2012-2016
- October 2017 Breaking News: Hepatitis A Outbreak
- September 2017 Breaking News: Multi-Jurisdiction Response to E. coli infection in Hildale, Utah
- September 2017 Community Health Spotlight: Measles Outbreak, Utah 2017
- August 2017 Utah Health Status Update: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- August 2017 Breaking News: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination
- Influenza Vaccination Coverage Report for Healthcare Workers in Utah Hospitals 2015-2016
- June 2017 Utah Health Status Update: Investigation of a Multi-state Seoul Virus Outbreak
- May 2017 Community Health Spotlight: Raw Milk Outbreaks in Utah
- Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, Utah 2006-2015
- April 2017 Utah Health Status Update: Hepatitis C and Drug Diversion
- March 2017 Utah Health Status Update: Zika Virus
- February 2017 Breaking News: Influenza-associated Hospitalizations
- November 2016 Community Health Spotlight: Syringe Exchange Programs
- October 2016 Utah Health Status Update: Top 10 Communicable Diseases
- October 2016 Breaking News: Severe Respiratory Disease Outbreak in Southeast Utah
- Infectious Diseases (from Utah State Health Assessment 2016 Report)
- September 2016 Breaking News: Healthcare Facility Assessments of Capacity to Prevent Transmission of Infections
- Tuberculosis in Utah - Five Year Statistical Review 2011-2015
- July 2016 Breaking News: Zika Virus
- June 2016 Community Health Spotlight: Impact of Electronic Laboratory Reporting
- Influenza Vaccination Coverage Report for Healthcare Workers in Utah Hospitals 2015-2016
- March 2016 Utah Health Status Update: Pediatric Tuberculosis in Utah
- March 2016 Breaking News: Training on Investigation of Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) Outbreaks
- February 2016 Breaking News: Influenza
- December 2015 Community Health Spotlight: HIV Surveillance Update for 2014
- October 2015 Utah Health Status Update: Communicable Disease Highlights - Utah, 2014
- Healthcare Associated Infections in Utah 2014
- Influenza Vaccination Coverage Report for Healthcare Workers in Utah Hospitals 2014-2015
- April 2015 Utah Health Status Update: 2015 Measles Outbreak in Utah
- March 2015 Utah Health Status Update: Effectively Managing Tuberculosis in Utah
- March 2015 Breaking News: HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
- March 2015 Community Health Spotlight: Gonorrhea Outbreak in Utah
- Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, Utah, 2004-2013