Changes in Measures against Infectious Diseases in Japan and Proposals for the Future

The new Infectious Diseases Control Law was implemented in April 1999 to thoroughly revamp measures against infectious diseases in Japan. The enactment of this law represents the final stage of transition from the previous system, which was characterized by legislation pertaining to individual infectious diseases, to a system based on a unified, comprehensive law for the control of these diseases. As a result of these changes, measures against infectious dis- eases in Japan are now governed by five laws: the Infectious Diseases Control Law, Tuberculosis Prevention Law, Rabies Prevention Law, Preventive Vaccination Law, and Quarantine Law. Under the Infectious Diseases Control Law, infectious diseases stipulated as subject to administrative management are classified as Type I (hospitalization in principle), Type II (hospitalization depending on the degree of infectiousness), Type III (restrictions on work), and Type IV (surveillance alone). The designation "infectious disease surveillance" pertains to a group of 44 dis- eases that require a survey with a complete count to be taken and a group of 28 diseases amenable to fixed-point survey. In addition, a computer-based system has been established to provide information on the current status of 72 infectious diseases in Japan.