Notifiable Conditions

Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It can cause an itchy, blister-like rash. The rash first appears on the chest, back, and face and then spreads over the entire body, causing between 250 and 500 itchy blisters. Chickenpox can be serious, especially in babies, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, and people with bodies that have a lowered ability to fight germs and sickness (weakened immune system). The best way to prevent chickenpox is to get the chickenpox vaccine. Chickenpox used to be very common in the United States. In the early 1990s, an average of 4 million people got chickenpox, 10,500 to 13,000 were hospitalized, and 100 to 150 died yearly. The chickenpox vaccine became available in the United States in 1995. Each year, more than 3.5 million cases of chickenpox, 9,000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths are prevented by chickenpox vaccination in the United States. (Source: CDC)

Contaminated sharps injury is any sharps injury that occurs with a sharp used or encountered in a health care setting that is contaminated with human blood or body fluids. [25 TAC §96.101]. A contaminated sharp means any contaminated object that can penetrate the skin including, but not limited to, needles, scalpels, broken glass, broken capillary tubes, and exposed ends of dental wires. [29 CFR 1910.1030] (Source: OSHA)

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Legionella can cause Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever, collectively known as legionellosis. Scientists named the bacteria after an outbreak in Philadelphia in 1976. People can get Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever when they breathe in tiny droplets of water in the air that contain Legionella. In general, people do not spread Legionnaires’ disease to other people. However, this may be possible under rare circumstances. About one in 10 people who get sick from Legionnaires’ disease will die. Legionella occurs naturally in freshwater environments, like lakes and streams. It can become a health concern when it grows and spreads in human-made building water systems.  (Source: CDC)

Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness. It is characterized by fever (as high as 105°F), malaise, cough, cold-like symptoms, and conjunctivitis -the three “C”s -followed by a rash that can start as spots. The rash usually appears about 14 days after a person is exposed. The rash spreads from the head to the trunk to the lower extremities. Patients are contagious from 4 days before to 4 days after the rash appears. Of note, sometimes immunocompromised patients do not develop the rash.  (Source: CDC)

Meningococcal disease refers to any illness caused by bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. These illnesses are often severe, can be deadly, and include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream. Keeping up to date with recommended vaccines is the best protection against meningococcal disease.  (Source: CDC)

Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. The monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as the variola virus, which causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are like smallpox but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox. Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research. Despite being named “monkeypox,” the source of the disease remains unknown. However, African rodents and non-human primates (like monkeys) might harbor the virus and infect people. The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970. Before the 2022 outbreak, monkeypox had been reported in people in several central and western African countries. Previously, almost all monkeypox cases in people outside of Africa were linked to international travel to countries where the disease commonly occurs or through imported animals. These cases occurred on multiple continents. (Source: CDC)

Mumps is a viral illness caused by a paramyxovirus, a member of the Rubulavirus family. The average incubation period for mumps is 16 to 18 days, with a range of 12 to 25 days. Mumps usually involves pain, tenderness, and swelling in one or both parotid salivary glands (cheek and jaw area). Swelling usually peaks in 1 to 3 days and subsides the following week.  (Source: CDC)

Pertussis, a respiratory illness commonly known as whooping cough, is a very contagious disease caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. These bacteria attach to the cilia (tiny, hair-like extensions) that line part of the upper respiratory system. The bacteria release toxins (poisons), which damage the cilia and cause airways to swell.  (Source: CDC)

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis (inability to move parts of the body). Poliovirus is very contagious and spreads through person-to-person contact. It lives in an infected person’s throat and intestines. Most people infected with poliovirus (about 72 out of 100) will not have any visible symptoms.  (Source: CDC)

Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system of mammals, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death. Most rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes, although any mammal can get rabies.  (Source: CDC)

Rubella is a contagious disease caused by a virus. Most people who get rubella usually have a mild illness, including a low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Rubella can cause a miscarriage or severe congenital disabilities in a developing baby if a pregnant woman is infected. The best protection against rubella is MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine.  (Source: CDC)

Before smallpox was eradicated, it was a severe infectious disease caused by the variola virus. It was contagious, meaning it spread from one person to another. People who had smallpox had a fever and a distinctive, progressive skin rash. Most people with smallpox recover, but about 3 out of every ten people with the disease die. Many smallpox survivors have permanent scars over large areas of their bodies, especially their faces. Some are left blind. Thanks to the success of vaccination, smallpox was eradicated, and no cases of naturally occurring smallpox have happened since 1977. The last natural outbreak of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949.  (Source: CDC)

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. As a result, two TB-related conditions exist latent TB infection (LTBI) and TB disease. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal.  (Source: CDC)