Overview: 60 years of disease surveillance, 1951-2011.

Notifiable diseases are conditions public health authorities voluntarily share with CDC. National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) including components like the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) support surveillance efforts in CDC Programs as well as state, territorial, and local health departments. Prior to 1985, notifiable disease data was sent by the states to CDC by mail and by phone. Since then, CDC has worked closely partners to support state, local, territorial, and tribal health departments by helping them develop integrated and interoperable public health surveillance systems.

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection