Infectious diseases remain major causes of illness, disability, and death. Moreover, new infectious agents and diseases are being detected, and some diseases considered under control have reemerged in recent years. In addition, antimicrobial resistance is evolving rapidly in a variety of hospital- and community-acquired infections. These trends suggest that many challenges still exist in the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

Significant progress has been made in reducing indigenous (not imported) cases of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs). The occurrence of many VPDs is at or near record-low levels. Most diseases have been reduced by more than 95 percent from peak prevaccine levels.

However, as disease incidence falls, collecting and reporting complete and accurate information on the remaining cases become increasingly important in order to better understand the factors that allow disease transmission to continue, in spite of high vaccination levels. Developing an appropriate public health response to the occurrence of such cases requires thorough case investigation, appropriate laboratory testing and complete and accurate vaccination histories. Surveillance remains a critical first step in disease prevention and control.

- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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