Reportable diseases are those that once lab-confirmed, must be reported to public health. Reportable infectious diseases include vaccine-preventable diseases (e.g., measles), sexually transmitted infections (e.g., chlamydia), foodborne diseases (e.g., hepatitis A), vector-borne diseases (e.g., Lyme disease) and tuberculosis.[1] Children and youth are highly susceptible to these diseases, as they tend to spend a lot of time in places where diseases can pass easily from one child to the next. Immunizations are an important way to protect children and youth from infectious diseases and to limit the spread.
Lab-confirmed reportable infectious diseases among children and youth |
About the MeasureData on this measure is collected from the Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), a database used by public health units to report cases of reportable diseases. The incidence rate is the total number of new cases of infectious diseases, per 10,000 people. This data does not include influenza. This measure focuses on the cumulative rate from 2013 to 2018 and has three age groups:
Key FindingsAcross all three age groups the gastrointestinal illnesses Campylobacter Enteritis, Salmonellosis and Cryptosporidiosis are among the top reportable diseases. Among youth, aged 14 to 18, the sexually transmitted infection Chlamydia is the most common reportable disease at 38.2 cases per 10,000. This data can be found in the downloadable Excel file at the bottom of this page.
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Source: Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) 2013-2018; extracted January 14, 2019.
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Source: Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) 2013-2018; extracted January 14, 2019.
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Source: Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) 2013-2018; extracted January 14, 2019.
LimitationsIt should be noted that there may be considerable underreporting of actual cases for some diseases. For instance, when an infected person has mild clinical symptoms they may not seek medical care and/or laboratory testing may not be performed. |
[1] Association of Public Health Epidemiologists in Ontario. (2015). Infectious disease incidence. Available at: http://core.apheo.ca/index.php?pid=167