Surveillance and Management of Notifiable Communicable Diseases

Communicable diseases are a continuing menace to all people. Although some diseases have been conquered by antibiotics and vaccines, new ones are constantly emerging (such as HIV/AIDS, Legionnaires' disease), while others re-emerging (such as malaria, shigellosis).

In 2000, the communicable disease control law had been amended to cope with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The important amendatory contents are revision of statutory communicable diseases (3 class, 29 → 5 groups,63), shortening of the reporting time(group I,II,IV, immediately ; group III, V, within 7 days), and introduction of sentinel surveillance system, EDI reporting system, and reporting criteria.