Alexandria Health Department Releases 2024 Disease Investigation Report, Highlighting Vaccine‑Preventable Illness and STI Trends

The Alexandria Health Department (AHD) has released its 2024 Disease Investigation Report, outlining key trends in illnesses that affected the community in 2024. The report includes detailed summaries of disease patterns, graphs and tables, and spotlights on health topics important to Alexandria.

In 2024, AHD conducted more than 1,900 investigations, supporting our ability to detect diseases early and rapidly respond to protect residents. Some trends AHD noticed were:

• Vaccine-Preventable Diseases increased significantly - consistent with trends in Virginia and the United States.
• Sexually Transmitted Infections continued to be higher in Alexandria compared to Virginia.
• Multidrug-resistant organisms continued to pose a risk to our community.

Investigating Reportable Diseases - a Public Health Cornerstone

The report focuses on illnesses and conditions that healthcare providers, laboratories, and facilities like schools, daycares, and long-term care centers are required to report to the health department.

When AHD receives a report of a confirmed or suspected case, staff investigate to identify the source, assess community risk, and take action to prevent further spread. Actions may include removing contaminated food from stores or issuing public alerts.

"A lot of this disease investigation work happens quietly, behind the scenes," said Dr. Anne Gaddy, Deputy Director of AHD. "But this work is vital. Continuous monitoring and investigation are how we prevent a single illness from becoming a community-wide problem."

How We Use This Report

AHD has shared the report with local healthcare providers to help them recognize common illnesses in Alexandria and stay up-to-date on treatment. AHD also regularly shares updates on disease trends, symptoms to watch for, and new guidance with healthcare professionals.

Community members are encouraged to explore the reportand additional data available on Alexandria's Health Data Dashboardto better understand local health issues. People interested in helping improve community health can join a coalition contributing to the next five-year Community Health Improvement Plan- planning is happening now!

If you have any questions about the data, email [email protected].

More information about health in our community can be found at www.alexandriava.gov/Health.

For media inquiries only, please contact [email protected]or call 804.467.5160.