Which of the following is not an internationally notifiable disease?

PGIMER NO - 2020

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: PGIMER NO - 2020

Explanation

Chickenpox (Varicella), while a contagious viral illness, is not included in the specific list of diseases requiring mandatory international notification under the classic International Health Regulations (IHR, 1969).
The IHR (1969) specifically named only three diseases for mandatory reporting to the World Health Organization (WHO): Plague, Cholera, and Yellow Fever.
While many countries have national surveillance and reporting systems for chickenpox, it does not fall into the category of an internationally quarantinable disease like the other options.

Option A: Plague is incorrect because it is one of the three classic diseases that were subject to the International Health Regulations (1969), making it internationally notifiable.
Option B: Cholera is incorrect because it is one of the three diseases historically requiring mandatory international notification to the WHO under the IHR (1969) due to its pandemic potential.
Option D: Yellow fever is incorrect because this viral hemorrhagic fever is the third of the classic trio of diseases subject to the IHR (1969) and is therefore internationally notifiable.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Internationally Notifiable Diseases (IHR) helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses, particularly those in public health, travel medicine, and at points of entry (airports, seaports), must be aware of internationally notifiable diseases to ensure correct reporting, implement appropriate control measures, and educate travelers.
Understanding the principles of the IHR helps nurses participate effectively in national and global surveillance systems for infectious diseases and respond to public health alerts.
What if? If the question had been framed around the updated IHR (2005) and asked for a disease that could become a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' (PHEIC), the answer could be different. Under these rules, any disease (including a novel or unusually severe strain of a common virus) that poses an international threat could be declared a PHEIC and require notification.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the negative keyword 'not' in the question. This means you are looking for the option that is an exception.
The core concept is 'internationally notifiable disease'. This refers to a specific list of diseases defined by an international authority, the World Health Organization (WHO), under the International Health Regulations (IHR).
Recall the classic list of three diseases that were subject to the IHR (1969). These are the most famous examples of internationally notifiable diseases.
Evaluate each option against this list. Plague, Cholera, and Yellow Fever are the three diseases on that list.
Chickenpox is the only option not on this specific list, making it the correct answer as it is the exception.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QP9BzU5Es_ycPE5k2Zgcos

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart A (pp 26-201 of 604) p. 117-119