The tables below summarize reportable communicable disease data for the City of Toronto, for 2018 and the previous five year period (2013-2017). Monthly surveillance data for the current year are posted to Toronto Open Data and detailed summaries of 2018 data by gender and age group are also available on Open Data (see under Download Data tab on the Monthly Communicable Disease Surveillance Data for year specific data).
All reports of communicable diseases for Toronto included in this report were collected by Toronto Public Health (TPH) under the authority of the Health Protection and Promotion Act, Ontario Regulations 559/91, which mandates the notification of all confirmed or suspect reportable diseases to the Medical Officer of Health for the jurisdiction where the patient resides.
Reports of diseases included in this document are for individuals who lived in Toronto at the time of their diagnosis. All data for Toronto included in these tables were extracted from the Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), the provincial communicable disease information system.
Incidence rates for Toronto were calculated using population estimates extracted from intelliHealth on April 30, 2018.
Note: Only those diseases with at least one reported case in 2018 are included on this page.
| Ranking | Reportable disease | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chlamydia | 13,913 | 483.7 | 10,998 | 388.2 |
| 2 | Gonorrhea | 4,565 | 158.7 | 2,768 | 97.7 |
| 3 | Influenza* | 2,672 | 92.9 | 3,226 | 113.9 |
| 4 | Syphilis, infectious | 1,182 | 41.1 | 745 | 26.3 |
| 5 | Hepatitis C | 853 | 29.7 | 719 | 25.4 |
| 6 | Campylobacter enteritis | 747 | 26.0 | 880 | 31.1 |
| 7 | Hepatitis B carriers | 622 | 21.6 | 893 | 31.5 |
| 8 | Salmonellosis | 544 | 18.9 | 619 | 21.8 |
| 9 | HIV | 521 | 18.1 | 440 | 15.5 |
| 10 | Hepatitis B, unclassified | 467 | 16.2 | 229 | 8.1 |
| 11 | Chickenpox (Varicella) | 462 | 16.1 | 644 | 22.7 |
| 12 | Giardiasis | 429 | 14.9 | 392 | 13.8 |
| 13 | Syphilis, late latent | 350 | 12.2 | 261 | 9.2 |
| 14 | Tuberculosis | 293 | 10.2 | 278 | 9.8 |
| 15 | Pneumococcal disease, invasive | 270 | 9.4 | 195 | 6.9 |
| 16 | Amebiasis | 235 | 8.2 | 403 | 14.2 |
| 17 | Group A Streptococcal disease, invasive | 185 | 6.4 | 127 | 4.5 |
| 18 | Shigellosis | 164 | 5.7 | 128 | 4.5 |
| 19 | Cryptosporidiosis | 134 | 4.7 | 65 | 2.3 |
| 20 | Yersiniosis | 89 | 3.1 | 59 | 2.1 |
| 21 | Legionellosis | 67 | 2.3 | 36 | 1.3 |
| 22 | Pertussis | 66 | 2.3 | 59 | 2.1 |
| 23 | Cyclosporiasis | 56 | 1.9 | 56 | 2.0 |
| 24 | Carbapenamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae | 54 | 1.9 | NA | NA |
| 25 | Encephalitis/meningitis: viral | 53 | 1.8 | 50 | 1.8 |
| 26 | Lyme disease | 49 | 1.7 | 41 | 1.4 |
| 27 | West Nile Virus | 39 | 1.4 | 16 | 0.6 |
| 28 | Hepatitis A | 38 | 1.3 | 37 | 1.3 |
| 29 | Encephalitis/meningitis: bacterial | 33 | 1.1 | 21 | 0.7 |
| 30 | Haemophilus influenzae, invasive | 32 | 1.1 | NA | NA |
| 31 | Typhoid fever | 28 | 1.0 | 24 | 0.8 |
| 32 | Verotoxin-producing E. coli infection | 24 | 0.8 | 29 | 0.1 |
| 33 | AIDS | 22 | 0.8 | 30 | 1.1 |
| 34 | Listeriosis | 16 | 0.6 | 17 | 0.6 |
| 35 | Group B Streptococcal disease, neonatal | 15 | 0.5 | 13 | 0.5 |
| 36 | Mumps | 14 | 0.5 | 30 | 1.1 |
| 36 | Syphilis, other† | 14 | 0.5 | 4 | 0.1 |
| 38 | Blastomycosis | 13 | 0.5 | NA | NA |
| 39 | Malaria | 10 | 0.3 | 70 | 2.5 |
| 40 | Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease | 7 | 0.2 | 3 | 0.1 |
| 40 | Hepatitis B cases | 7 | 0.2 | 12 | 0.4 |
| 42 | Paratyphoid fever | 6 | 0.2 | 10 | 0.4 |
| 43 | Encephalitis/meningitis: fungal | 5 | 0.2 | 2 | <0.1 |
| 43 | Measles | 5 | 0.2 | 5 | 0.2 |
| 45 | Acute flaccid paralysis | 4 | 0.1 | <1 | <0.1 |
| 46 | Brucellosis | 3 | 0.1 | 2 | <0.1 |
| 46 | Leprosy | 3 | 0.1 | 2 | <0.1 |
| 48 | Encephalitis/meningitis: unclassified | 2 | <0.1 | 6 | 0.2 |
| 48 | Meningococcal disease, invasive | 2 | <0.1 | 6 | 0.2 |
| 50 | Botulism | 1 | <0.1 | <1 | <0.1 |
| 50 | Q fever | 1 | <0.1 | 1.6 | <0.1 |
| 50 | Trichinosis | 1 | <0.1 | <1 | <0.1 |
*Seasonal year from September 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019.
†Excludes infectious, late latent and congenital syphilis.
Communicable diseases without any cases reported in 2018 were not included in this table. These were: anthrax, cholera, chancroid, diphtheria, echinoccoccus multilocularis infection, hantavirus, haemorrhagic fevers, lassa fever, ophthalmia neonatorum, paralytic shellfish poisoning, plague, poliomyelitis, psittacosis/ornithosis, rabies, rubella, rubella congenital syndrome, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), smallpox, syphilis-early congenital, tetanus, tularemia, and yellow fever.
These are infections caused by infectious agents that are found in bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk and saliva. Transmission generally occurs from person to person via sexual contact, although other modes of transmission exist (e.g. IV drug use and perinatal transmission).
| Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 13,913 | 483.7 | 10,998 | 388.2 |
| Gonorrhea | 4,565 | 158.7 | 2,768 | 97.7 |
| Syphilis, infectious | 1,182 | 41.1 | 745 | 26.3 |
| Hepatitis C | 853 | 29.7 | 719 | 25.4 |
| Hepatitis B carriers | 622 | 21.6 | 893 | 31.5 |
| HIV | 521 | 18.1 | 440 | 15.5 |
| Hepatitis B, unclassified | 467 | 16.2 | 229 | 8.1 |
| Syphilis, late latent | 350 | 12.2 | 261 | 9.2 |
| AIDS | 22 | 0.8 | 30 | 1.1 |
| Syphilis, other† | 14 | 0.5 | 4 | 0.1 |
| Hepatitis B cases | 7 | 0.2 | 12 | 0.4 |
†Excludes infectious, late latent and congenital syphilis.
These are diseases caused by infectious agents that are shed in the feces and can contaminate food or water sources. Transmission occurs primarily through ingestion of contaminated food, beverages or water, or more rarely, though direct or fecal-oral contact with an infected person.
| Enteric, Food and Waterborne | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campylobacter enteritis | 747 | 26.0 | 880 | 31.1 |
| Salmonellosis | 544 | 18.9 | 619 | 21.8 |
| Giardiasis | 429 | 14.9 | 392 | 13.8 |
| Amebiasis | 235 | 8.2 | 403 | 14.2 |
| Shigellosis | 164 | 5.7 | 128 | 4.5 |
| Cryptosporidiosis | 134 | 4.7 | 65 | 2.3 |
| Yersiniosis | 89 | 3.1 | 59 | 2.1 |
| Cyclosporiasis | 56 | 1.9 | 56 | 2.0 |
| Hepatitis A | 38 | 1.3 | 37 | 1.3 |
| Typhoid fever | 28 | 1.0 | 24 | 0.8 |
| Verotoxin-producing E. coli infection | 24 | 0.8 | 29 | 0.1 |
| Listeriosis | 16 | 0.6 | 17 | 0.6 |
| Paratyphoid fever | 6 | 0.2 | 10 | 0.4 |
| Botulism | 1 | <0.1 | <1 | <0.1 |
| Trichinosis | 1 | <0.1 | <1 | <0.1 |
These are diseases caused by infectious agents transmitted through direct contact with, and/or droplet spread of, the contagious secretions of an infected person, usually secretions from the respiratory tract.
| Direct Contact and Respiratory | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuberculosis | 293 | 10.2 | 278 | 9.8 |
| Pneumococcal disease, invasive | 270 | 9.4 | 195 | 6.9 |
| Group A Streptococcal disease, invasive | 185 | 6.4 | 127 | 4.5 |
| Legionellosis | 67 | 2.3 | 36 | 1.3 |
| Group B Streptococcal disease, neonatal | 15 | 0.5 | 13 | 0.5 |
| Leprosy | 3 | 0.1 | 2 | <0.1 |
| Meningococcal disease, invasive | 2 | <0.1 | 6 | 0.2 |
These are diseases caused by agents which can be spread a variety of ways, but for which there are effective vaccines readily available and routinely used.
| Vaccine Preventable Diseases | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Influenza | 2,672 | 92.9 | 3,226 | 113.9 |
| Chickenpox (Varicella) | 462 | 16.1 | 644 | 22.7 |
| Pertussis | 66 | 2.3 | 59 | 2.1 |
| Haemophilus influenzae, invasive | 32 | 1.1 | NA | NA |
| Mumps | 14 | 0.5 | 30 | 1.1 |
| Measles | 5 | 0.2 | 5 | 0.2 |
These are diseases caused by infectious agents transmitted between animals and humans. Most transmission occurs through the bite of an arthropod (mosquito and tick), which introduces infectious agents into the bloodstream.
| Vectorborne and Zoonotics | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyme disease | 49 | 1.7 | 41 | 1.4 |
| West Nile Virus | 39 | 1.4 | 16 | 0.6 |
| Malaria* | 10 | 0.3 | 70 | 2.5 |
| Brucellosis | 3 | 0.1 | 2 | <0.1 |
| Q fever | 1 | <0.1 | 2 | <0.1 |
| Yellow fever* | 0 | 0.0 | <1 | <0.1 |
*As of May 1 2018, malaria and yellow fever were removed from the reportable disease list for Ontario.
| Human Prion Disease | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease | 7 | 0.2 | 3 | 0.1 |
Encephalitis and meningitis are illnesses caused by a variety of organisms which lead to inflammation of the brain and/or membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Rare diseases are those that are observed infrequently in Toronto.
| Encephalitis/Meningitis | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encephalitis/meningitis: viral | 53 | 1.8 | 50 | 1.8 |
| Encephalitis/meningitis: bacterial | 33 | 1.1 | 21 | 0.7 |
| Encephalitis/meningitis: fungal | 5 | 0.2 | 2 | <0.1 |
| Encephalitis/meningitis: unclassified | 2 | <0.1 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Rare Diseases | Cases (2018) | Rate per 100,000 population | Cases (5-year mean) |
Rate per 100,000 population (5-year mean) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbapenamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae‡ | 54 | 1.9 | NA | NA |
| Blastomycosis‡ | 13 | 0.5 | NA | NA |
| Acute flaccid paralysis | 4 | 0.1 | <1 | <0.1 |
‡ As of May 1 2018, Carbapenamase-producing Enteriobacteriaceae and Blastomycosis were added to the reportable disease list for Ontario.