Final answer:
Physicians in Florida must report confirmed cases of diphtheria, a notifiable disease, to the health department. The CDC's NNDSS tracks these cases through reporting. Compliance with reporting standards is required for public health management.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a confirmed case of diphtheria is identified, the patient's physician in Florida is legally obligated to report this case to the health department.
Diphtheria is a notifiable infectious disease, and timely reporting is essential for public health surveillance and management.
As part of this process, information would also be shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS).
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) compiled by the CDC provides physicians and healthcare workers with updates on public health issues and data on notifiable diseases.
Physicians must report not only based on the potential public health risk but also to comply with legal requirements set forth for notifiable diseases.