American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 154, No. 8 : 783-784
Copyright © 2001 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
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Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 17th Edition
Department of International Health Rollins, School of Public Health Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
The 17th edition of the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, edited by Dr. James E. Chin, maintains the tradition of a comprehensive, succinct, informative compendium of information concerning communicable diseases of international importance. This manual is extremely useful for all public health professionals as well as clinicians and other persons who work in areas of health care. It is not meant to be the definitive textbook on communicable diseases but to be a valuable and handy reference that provides epidemiologic data and outlines measures for control and prevention of the communicable diseases of international importance. It is commendable that diseases newly recognized up to approximately 12–15 months before this edition was printed are included in the Manual. In this age of information explosion and new, "emerging" infections, it is difficult to keep such a manual from wandering in its focus while still keeping it compact. The editor and his editorial board have been magnificent in meeting the challenge of information overkill.
Also commendable is the fact that hundreds of persons have participated in preparing the discussions of the diseases but have adhered to a carefully constructed outline and generally been uniform in their writing. The chapters conform to a tried and tested template that has contributed to the effective and efficient use of this manual by people throughout the world. The chapters are generally well written and comprehensive concerning the appropriate public health information necessary for the purposes of control and prevention. The following comments might be considered when the 18th edition is prepared.
In the section entitled, "Surveillance and Reporting of Communicable Diseases," the development of five classes and several subclasses for disease reporting is somewhat cumbersome. Although this same system has been used in previous editions of the manual, this area could be clarified in future editions. The description of the methods of public health surveillance could be made clearer by referring to passive or active surveillance. These terms are frequently used inappropriately, and clearly defining them would strengthen this discussion. Passive surveillance is the routine reporting of reportable diseases where the report is initiated by the health care practitioner. Active surveillance is the reporting of reportable diseases where the report is initiated by the health department by means of actively soliciting reports from health care providers. Both active and passive surveillance may be enhanced when there is a great deal of publicity concerning the occurrence of either a reportable disease or a disease under active surveillance, a point not noted in the Manual's discussion of surveillance.
In the discussion of parasitic diseases, the term "life cycle" could be introduced, and each of these chapters could include a brief description of the parasite's life cycle. In most of the discussions of parasitic diseases, these data are given though they may be divided between the sections on "occurrence" and "mode of transmission." It is important to continue the same sections within each chapter, but possibly life cycle data could be brought together under the section on "mode of transmission."
In the discussion of dracunculiasis, reference is made to countries in which "... eradication has been successful" (p. 174). The definition of eradication that is generally accepted is that eradication can refer only to a disease in which transmission has been interrupted throughout the entire world as a result of a time-limited campaign that is stopped, and cases no longer occur throughout the world. In referring to a country in which the disease is no longer being transmitted but cases are occurring in other countries, the situation should be described as elimination of that disease.
NOTES
ISBN 0-87553-182-2, American Public Health Association, Washington, DC (Telephone: 202-777-2742, Fax: 202-777-2534, E-mail: apha{at}tasco1.com), 2000, 640 pp., hardcover $29.00 APHA members, $40.00 nonmenbers
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