Utah Communicable Disease Report (DREAM), 2023
Introduction
The Disease Response, Evaluation, Analysis, and Monitoring (DREAM) program’s 2023 Utah Communicable Disease Report is a web-based report. You can use the tabs and dropdown menus at the top of the screen to navigate through the different sections.
Preface
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has several divisions that together track more than 75 communicable diseases in Utah each year. This report only contains reportable diseases monitored by the Utah DHHS’s Disease Response, Evaluation, Analysis, and Monitoring (DREAM) program. The DREAM program tracks 72 reportable diseases and conditions in Utah each year.
This report contains data for these 72 reportable diseases that were reported in Utah during 2023. We collected the data for this report from local health departments (LHDs), laboratories, healthcare providers, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities in Utah. The DREAM program works with LHDs to investigate each reported disease case.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assigns a number to each week of the year, known as the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) week number. MMWR week #1 of an MMWR year is the first week of the year that has at least 4 days, so a case that happens at the beginning of January in a calendar year could still count for the previous year when counting for MMWR weeks. Cases are counted by the MMWR week they occurred.
Read below for information on what you will find in each section of the report:
- Overall highlights
- Information about diseases in 2023 with unusual activity
- All diseases trend table
- 2023 count: The number of cases in Utah in 2023
- Previous 5-year count average: The number of cases in Utah from 2018–2022
- Utah 2023 rate: The number of cases per 100,000 people in Utah
- Disease trend: Whether 2023 case counts are higher or lower than the 5-year average
- Disease-specific tabs (Enteric diseases; Vaccine-preventable
diseases; Zoonotic diseases; Viral hepatitis; Flu, COVID-19, and RSV;
and Invasive and other diseases)
- Yearly counts and yearly rates table includes
- Incidence data: New cases of the disease in 2023
- Historical 5-year average: Average number of cases from 2018–2022
- For diseases that have the most impact on Utah’s population, you can
also see:
- Trends by year
- New cases per 100,000 by health department jurisdiction
- New cases per 100,000 by age
- Yearly counts and yearly rates table includes
Important note about influenza
When we talk about a specific year’s flu data in this report, we are referring to the flu season that ended in that year. For example, the data labeled “2023” actually covers the period from October 2022 to April 2023. This is how we keep track of the flu each year. The typical flu season, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), runs from October to April. If someone gets the flu outside of those months, like in August 2023, we still include that case in the previous season’s numbers (2022–2023). This report focuses on the 2022–2023 flu season. You can find more details about flu activity in Utah here.
Acknowledgements
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recognizes the work of local health department (LHD) personnel throughout the state. LHD personnel play an important role in data collection and case investigation. The work of LHD personnel allows for accurate and timely reporting of communicable disease data.
Utah DHHS also recognizes the efforts of other reporting partners who provided communicable disease data for this report. These partners include laboratories, healthcare facilities, healthcare providers, and the public. Reportable communicable disease data for Utah are published by the Utah DHHS Office of Communicable Diseases.
If you have questions or comments, contact:
Utah DHHS Office of Communicable Diseases
PO Box 142104
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114
Phone: (801) 538-6191
Email: epi@utah.gov
Website: www.epi.utah.gov
List of reportable diseases
Refer to this sheet for information about the reporting timeframes of all the reportable conditions in Utah. The list below only includes the diseases in this report. Visit the Utah DHHS data & reports webpage for data reports on:
Adverse event resulting from smallpox vaccination
Arbovirus infection, not including West Nile, Dengue, or Yellow Fever
Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease and other transmissible human spongiform encephalopathies
Haemophilus influenzae, invasive disease
Hemolytic uremic syndrome, post-diarrheal
Hepatitis A, acute and chronic
Hepatitis B, acute and chronic
Hepatitis C, acute, chronic, and perinatal
Influenza-associated hospitalization
Influenza-associated pediatric death
Meningitis (aseptic, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, protozoan, and viral)
Poliomyelitis, paralytic and nonparalytic
Relapsing fever, tick-borne and louse-borne
Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection
Spotted fever rickettsioses, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Staphylococcus aureus with resistance (VRSA)
Streptococcal invasive infection, Group A
Streptococcal invasive infection, Group B
Streptococcal invasive infection, other
Toxic-shock syndrome, staphylococcal or streptococcal
Viral hemorrhagic fevers, including Ebola, Lassa, Marburg, and Nipah virus-related illnesses
Overall highlights
The diseases highlighted in this section had unusual activity in 2023, including cryptosporidiosis, measles, and a cyclospora outbreak. Use the pull down tab for more information.
Select disease highlight
Cryptosporidiosis
The state of Utah recorded a large increase in cryptosporidiosis cases during the summer of 2023. Cryptosporidiosis, or “crypto” for short, is caused by the parasite cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidium lives in the intestines of infected animals and people. It can often contaminate recreational water, including swimming pools. Cryptosporidium is not easily killed by chlorine. The most common symptom of crypto is watery diarrhea.
Utah reported nearly 700 cases of crypto in 2023, well above Utah’s 5-year average of 171 cases. Most cases occurred in the summer between July and September. Around 60% of people who had crypto reported they had contact with recreational water. About 44% of people who had crypto specifically reported contact with treated recreational water—such as pools, waterparks, and splash pads.
Utah DHHS responded to these high numbers and sent out a press release to remind people of safe and healthy swimming practices. These include not getting in a pool while you are sick with diarrhea or in the 2 weeks after your symptoms go away. We also used social media posts with similar messaging and posts on other ways to stay cool in the summer.
Measles
There was one confirmed measles case in Utah in March 2023. The person who was diagnosed with measles was an unvaccinated Utah resident who had traveled internationally. Between March and April 2023, we identified 364 people who had contact with the person who had measles.
Utah DHHS worked closely with local health department partners to:
- conduct contact tracing
- provide post-exposure prophylaxis (medical treatment)
- conduct appropriate monitoring
No additional cases were reported.
Cyclospora outbreak
Utah was part of a national outbreak of cyclosporiasis during May and June of 2023. Utah reported 10 confirmed and 8 probable cases. The people who were diagnosed with cyclosporiasis reported eating at two restaurants in Salt Lake City and one restaurant in Colorado. Arugula is suspected to have caused this outbreak.
All diseases trend table
The state disease table includes the 2023 count2, the previous 5-year rate average3, the Utah 2023 rate4, and the disease trend5.
Enteric diseases
Top enteric diseases
Enteric (intestinal) diseases are those that cause gastro-intestinal illness. The infectious organisms typically enter the body through the mouth. They can enter the mouth when someone:
- eats contaminated food
- drinks contaminated water
- touches animals or an animal’s environment and then touches their mouth without washing their hands first
- touches the feces (poop) of someone who has an enteric disease and then touches their mouth without washing their hands first
For more information about enteric diseases, see the CDC website.
The enteric diseases with the most reported cases during 2023 in Utah were:
Statewide enteric disease case counts
Statewide enteric disease case rates
Top enteric diseases by jurisdiction
Campylobacteriosis
Cryptosporidiosis
Salmonellosis
STEC infection
Giardiasis
Top enteric diseases by age group
Campylobacteriosis
Cases from unknown age groups: <11
Cryptosporidiosis
Salmonellosis
Cases from unknown age groups: <11
STEC infection
Cases from unknown age groups: <11
Giardiasis
All enteric diseases counts/rates
Enteric diseases yearly counts
Enteric diseases yearly rates
Vaccine-preventable diseases
Top vaccine-preventable diseases
Vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) are infectious diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. For more information on VPDs, visit the CDC website.
The VPDs with the most reported cases during 2023 in Utah were:
Statewide VPD vase counts
Statewide VPD case rates
Top VPDs by jurisdiction
Pertussis
S. pneumoniae invasive disease
Chickenpox
H. influenzae invasive disease
Top VPDs by age group
Pertussis
S. pneumoniae invasive disease
Chickenpox
H. influenzae invasive disease
All VPDs counts/rates
VPDs yearly counts
VPDs yearly rates
Zoonotic diseases
Top zoonotic diseases
Zoonotic diseases are caused by infectious organisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites) that spread from animals to humans. They often spread through vectors such as ticks and mosquitoes. More information can be found on the CDC website.
Many zoonotic diseases are travel-related and not locally acquired in Utah. The locally-acquired zoonotic diseases with the most reported cases during 2023 in Utah were:
This report does not include maps or age bar graphs due to low zoonotic disease case counts. This is done to protect the privacy of people who had a zoonotic disease.
Statewide zoonotic diseases case counts
Statewide zoonotic diseases case rates
All zoonotic diseases counts/rates
Zoonotic diseases yearly counts
Zoonotic diseases yearly rates
Viral hepatitis
Top hepatitis conditions
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is swelling that happens when tissues of the body are injured or infected. Hepatitis is often caused by a virus. When hepatitis is caused by a virus, it is known as viral hepatitis. For more information, visit the CDC website for viral hepatitis.
The viral hepatitis infections with the most reported cases6 during 2023 in Utah were:
- Hepatitis C (chronic)
- Hepatitis C (acute)
- Hepatitis B (chronic)
- Hepatitis B (acute)
- Hepatitis A (acute)
This report does not include maps or age bar graphs of some viral hepatitis infections due to low case counts. This is done to protect the privacy of people who had these viral hepatitis infections.
Statewide viral hepatitis case counts
Statewide viral hepatitis case rates
Top hepatitis conditions by jurisdiction
Hepatitis C, chronic
Hepatitis C, acute
Hepatitis B, chronic
Top hepatitis conditions by age group
Hepatitis C, chronic
Hepatitis B, chronic
Hepatitis C, acute
All hepatitis conditions counts/rates
Hepatitis conditions yearly counts
Hepatitis conditions yearly rates
Flu, COVID-19 & RSV
Note on respiratory diseases
The respiratory tract includes the nose, throat, and lungs. Respiratory diseases are those in which germs, like bacteria and viruses, infect the respiratory tract. Respiratory diseases can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.
This section includes information on the following respiratory diseases that are reportable in Utah:
In this report, when we talk about a specific year’s flu data, we are referring to the flu season that ended in that year. For example, the data labeled “2023” actually covers the period from October 2022 to April 2023. This is how we keep track of the flu each year. The typical flu season, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), runs from October to April. If someone gets the flu outside of those months, like in August 2023, we still include that case in the previous season’s numbers (2022–2023). This report focuses on the 2022–2023 flu season. You can find more details about flu activity in Utah here.
Utah’s respiratory disease dashboard contains more information on these diseases. It is updated weekly during the respiratory disease season (October–April).
Influenza (flu)
Not all cases of influenza (flu) are reported. However, influenza-associated hospitalization (IAH) is a reportable condition in Utah.
People meet the case definition for IAH if they:
- are hospitalized for any length of time
- test positive for influenza ≤ 14 days before the hospital admission date OR
- test positive for influenza ≤ 3 days after the hospital admission date
IAH seasonal trends
IAH by jurisdiciton
IAH by age group
COVID-19
Case counts alone are not a reliable way to assess the impact of COVID-19 over time. This is because:
- Reporting requirements for COVID-19 changed after the end of the federal public health emergency on May 11, 2023. This means that some types of COVID-19 tests were not reported to Utah DHHS after that date.
- Fewer people are getting tested for COVID-19.
Case counts should be looked at with other metrics, such as hospitalizations or emergency department visits.
COVID-19 counts
COVID-19 rates
COVID-19 by jurisdiction
Cases from unknown jurisdictions: 2,534
COVID-19 by age group
Cases from unknown age groups: <11
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
RSV became a reportable condition in Utah under the Communicable Disease Rule in 2020. Case counts from before this date are incomplete, and should not be used to compare RSV trends over time.
RSV counts
RSV rates
RSV by jurisdiction
RSV by age group
All respiratory conditions counts/rates
Respiratory conditions yearly counts
Respiratory conditions yearly rates
Invasive & other diseases
Top invasive and other reportable conditions
Invasive diseases are those in which germs, like bacteria and viruses, infect parts of the body that are normally free from germs. Some parts of the body that are normally free from germs include the bloodstream, cerebrospinal fluid, and bones. This section also includes other reportable diseases that don’t occur as often.
The invasive diseases with the most reported cases during 2023 in Utah were:
- Streptococcal disease, Group A (invasive)
- Streptococcal disease, Group B (invasive)
- Streptococcal disease, other (invasive)
- Coccidioidomycosis
Statewide invasive & other conditions case counts
Statewide invasive & other conditions case rates
Top invasive and other conditions by jurisdiction
Group A Strep, invasive
Group B Strep, invasive
Strep disease, other, invasive
Coccidioidomycosis
Top invasive and other conditions by age group
Group A Strep, invasive
Group B Strep, invasive
Strep disease, other, invasive
Coccidioidomycosis
All invasive and other conditions counts/rates
Invasive & other conditions yearly counts
Invasive & other conditions yearly rates
Doctors and healthcare providers are required by Utah law (Section 26-6-6 and Title 26, Chapter 23b of the Utah Health Code for the year 2022) to report information about certain diseases to Utah DHHS. These diseases are called reportable diseases. Reportable diseases are the diseases, illnesses, and conditions that are concerning to the health of the public as stated in the Utah Administrative Code Rule R386-702. The list of reportable diseases and conditions in Utah is up to date. A disease may be added to the list as a new public health threat emerges, or a disease may be removed as its incidence declines.↩︎
Count is the total disease count in 2023. For influenza, count is the total disease count in the 2022–2023 influenza season.↩︎
The average disease rate for the 5 years prior to 2023.↩︎
The rate indicates infections per 100,000 population. Use caution when interpreting 2023 rates ≤0.3; the estimate has a relative standard error greater than 30% and does not meet DHHS standards for reliability.↩︎
Changes in trend are based on statistical significance (using a p-value of 0.10), i.e., higher or lower than the 5-year average.↩︎
Note about hepatitis B and hepatitis C: For hepatitis B (acute and chronic), only confirmed cases are reported. For hepatitis C acute and chronic, confirmed and probable cases are reported. For hepatitis C perinatal, only confirmed cases are reported.↩︎