COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a significant move toward transparency and public health awareness, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has unveiled a user-friendly dashboard that provides detailed information on infectious diseases across the state. The dashboard, titled “Summary of Infectious Diseases in Ohio,” is now live on the state’s DataOhio Portal.
Key Features of the Dashboard:
- Comprehensive Data: The dashboard aggregates data from over 100 infectious diseases, allowing users to explore trends, patterns, and demographics related to disease incidence and prevalence.
- User-Friendly Interface: With an intuitive design, the dashboard enables users to filter data by county, timeframe, age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Whether you’re a concerned citizen, a healthcare professional, or a researcher, this tool provides valuable insights.
- Historical Context: The data goes all the way back to 2001, providing a historical perspective on disease activity in Ohio. This feature is particularly useful for understanding long-term trends and identifying emerging health threats.
- Weekly Updates: Unlike the previous annual report, the interactive dashboard will be updated weekly, ensuring that users have access to the most current information.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff’s Statement:
In a press conference earlier today, ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff expressed his enthusiasm for the new resource: “I am pleased that ODH can offer Ohioans access to much more information about infectious diseases. We hope that this helps people to better understand disease activity in their community and statewide, both historically and currently.”
Diseases Covered:
The dashboard includes data on a wide range of infectious diseases, including:
- Measles
- Legionellosis
- Lyme disease
- Food-borne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli infections
However, it’s important to note that the dashboard does not cover COVID-19 or influenza. For those viruses, ODH maintains separate dashboards to provide targeted information.
To explore the Summary of Infectious Diseases in Ohio and gain valuable insights, visit the DataOhio Portal and click on the “visualize” tab.
