Control of Communicable Diseases Manual

The Control of Communicable Diseases Manual (CCDM) is one of the most widely recognized reference volumes on the topic of infectious diseases. It is useful for physicians, epidemiologists, global travelers, emergency volunteers and all who have dealt with or might have to deal with public health issues.

The title of the book, as registered in the Library of Congress, is Control of Communicable Diseases Manual 19th edition, An Official Report of the American Public Health Association. The editor of CCDM is David L. Heymann, MD.

History

The first edition, published in 1915, was titled Control of communicable diseases in man; it was also known then as the CCDM. The first edition was a small pamphlet, and for a long time the paperback edition was a handy pocket book. Now, the softcover version can fit in the largest pocket of a spacious winter coat.

The paperback and hardcover editions are both 746 pages. The paperback dimensions are 17 x 11.2 x 3.8 cm, and the hardcover dimensions are 17.8 x 12.1 x 3.8 cm. The ISBN for the hardcover edition is 978-0-87533-190-8, and the ISBN for the paperback edition is 978-0-87533-189-2.

Latest edition

The American Public Health Association published the 19th edition of the CCDM in 2008 under the editorship of David L. Heymann, MD. International infectious disease and public health experts, at both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, have updated this version.

The 19th edition includes eleven new chapters on topics fundamental to a global public health landscape. Chapter topics include: risk management, public health security in a globalized world, international health regulations, reporting of communicable diseases, outbreak response in bioterrorism, communicable disease control in humanitarian emergencies and handling of infectious materials. Other new chapters offer guidance on disease control at mass gatherings, after natural disasters or in emergency situations.

Content

The Control of Communicable Diseases Manual (CCDM) compiles comprehensive scientific data about communicable diseases, which significantly contribute to mortality and morbidity around the world. The CCDM emphasizes the epidemiological aspects of communicable diseases and provides information about their identification, reporting, control and prevention.

Disease Descriptions

The CCDM lists diseases in alphabetical order and includes information on each disease using the following nine sections:

1. Identification
2. Infectious agent
3. Occurrence
4. Reservoir
5. Mode of transmission
6. Incubation period
7. Period of communicability
8. Susceptibility and resistance
9. Methods of control

The size of each section varies considerably. For instance, the reservoir section for smallpox is less than a line long, since this disease is, in theory, only present in the freezers of official laboratories. By contrast, the anthrax entry has a large paragraph on the current reservoir.

Availability

The cost of the publication is $US 45 for the hard cover or $US 32 for members of the APHA. The soft cover is available for $35 for nonmembers and $25 for members.

The book has been published in a number of languages, including Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Arabic, a testament to its global audience.

An online version of the CCDM will become available in March 2010.

External links

• American Public Health Association - APHA
• Control of Communicable Diseases Manual for Mobile + Web