Prevention Agenda Priority Area: Infectious Disease
The Burden of Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms or germs, as they are commonly referred to, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. The diseases can be spread directly from person to person such as when a person coughs; animal to person when an animal scratches or bites; from mother to unborn child through the placenta or during labor or delivery; or indirectly, such as when a person touches a faucet handle because some germs can linger on objects. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of animals that can be transmitted to humans. There are effective strategies for preventing infectious diseases. These include: ensuring procedures and systems are in place in communities for immunizations to be up to date; enabling sanitary practices by conveniently located sinks for washing hands; influencing community resources and cultures to facilitate abstinence and risk reduction practices for sexual behavior and injection drug use, and setting up support systems to ensure medicines are taken as prescribed. The priorities are discussed under HIV/AIDS, Immunization, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Tuberculosis.
Objectives
Each community's progress towards reaching these Prevention Agenda Goals and Objectives will be tracked so community members can see how close they are to meeting the goals.
- By the year 2013, reduce the newly diagnosed HIV case rate in New York to no more than 23.0 per 100,000. Baseline: 25.5 per 100,000, HIV/AIDS Surveillance data, 2003-2005. (HP2010 Goal not available - ten percent reduction from 2003-05 baseline)
- By the year 2013, reduce the gonorrhea case rate in New York to no more than 19.0 per 100,000. Baseline: 90.7 per 100,000, Sexually Transmitted Disease surveillance data, 2006. (Healthy People 2010 Goal)
- By the year 2013, reduce the tuberculosis case rate in New York to no more than 1.0 per 100,000. Baseline: 7.2 per 100,000, Chronic Disease reports, 2003-2005. (Healthy People 2010 Goal)
- By the year 2013, increase the percentage of New Yorkers over age 65+ who receive recommended vaccines so that:
- The percent of adults aged 65+ who had a flu shot in the past year is at least 90%. Baseline: 64.7%, BRFSS, 2006. (Healthy People 2010 Goal)
- The percent of adults aged 65+ who ever had a pneumonia shot is at least 90%. Baseline: 61%, BRFSS, 2006. (Healthy People 2010 Goal)
County Strategies and Partners Matrix
The County Strategies and Partners Matrix for Infectious Diseases was compiled from the 2010-2013 community health assessments submitted in 2009 by 2 local health departments. It describes how local health departments collaborate with hospitals and community organizations to plan and address this priority to improve population health outcomes.
