What is a reportable infectious disease?
Trends in Reportable Infectious Diseases in Eeyou Istchee: 2000-2020
Find information on incidence, possible risk factors, and preventive and control measures taken for a range of reportable infectious diseases that affected Eeyou Istchee between 2000 and 2020.
It is an infectious disease that is mandatory to report by law. This means that health professionals and laboratory staff must notify Public Health authorities when they diagnose a case.
It is mandatory to report these infectious diseases because they can spread to others and cause serious health problems. If the spread of infectious diseases is not controlled, they can lead to outbreaks that affect many people.
Reportable diseases may also be called “notifiable diseases” or “declarable diseases.” In French, they are called maladies à déclaration obligatoire (MADOs).
Liste des MADOs (Fr)
When health professionals and laboratories report infectious diseases, the Public Health Department is able to:
- Detect early warning signs of potential outbreaks, such as unusual cases or groups of people becoming infected. This allows Public Health to take action quickly to reduce the spread of infection and the impacts they have on people's health.
- Better understand the situation, such as where the infection is spreading, who is getting sick, how serious the illness is, and why some people may be more at risk.
- Follow the situation over time, to see whether cases are increasing, decreasing, or spreading to new communities.
- Share findings with community partners, to help them plan and deliver services to promote health and prevent diseases.
What is the report about?
The report provides information on incidence, possible risk factors, and preventive and control measures taken for a range of reportable infectious diseases that affected Eeyou Istchee between 2000 and 2020. It focuses on reportable infectious diseases caused by germs like bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
The report was produced as part of the Public Health Department’s mandate to inform the population about their health and support partners in developing initiatives that promote health and prevent diseases. It represents decades of collaborative efforts among the communities, CMCs, and the Public Health Department to reduce the impact of reportable infectious diseases in the region.
Incidence refers to new cases of a disease in the population over a specified period of time.
What are the report’s key findings?
An infection is when germs enter someone’s body and start to make the person sick.
