Communicable diseases are a continuing threat to all people, regardless of age,
gender, lifestyle, ethnic background or socioeconomic status. They cause illness,
suffering and even death, and place an enormous financial burden on society.
Indeed, Joshua Lederberg, Nobel laureate once commented “We live in
evolutionary competition with microbes – bacteria and viruses. There is no
guarantee that we will be the survivors.” Although some communicable
diseases have been controlled by modern advances, new ones are constantly
emerging. The Washoe County Health District (WCHD) relies on healthcare
providers, laboratories, and others to report the occurrence of notifiable
diseases. Without such data, trends cannot be accurately monitored, unusual
occurrences of diseases (such as Ebola Virus, Zika Virus, and outbreaks) might
not be detected or appropriately investigated, and the effectiveness of control
and prevention activities cannot be easily evaluated. The intent of this report is
to provide local health care providers, infection control practitioners and other
interested persons with useful data.