Abstract: In December 2018, a total of 57 kinds of communicable diseases were reported globally, affecting 75 countries or areas. The first five diseases in terms of number of countries or areas affected were dengue fever (30), measles (15), Zika virus disease (13), Chikungunya fever (10) and malaria (9). The first five diseases with high case fatality rates were Ebola virus disease (60.8%), hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (37.5%), Middle East respiratory syndrome (35.4%), Lassa fever (25.4%) and yellow fever (16.7%). The first five diseases with high death numbers were cholera, Ebola virus disease, dengue fever, influenza and anthrax. The epidemics of cholera, Ebola virus disease, plague, yellow fever and poliomyelitis mainly occurred in Africa, the epidemics of dengue fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome, mumps, tuberculosis and Chikungunya fever mainly occurred in Asia, the epidemics of dengue fever, Zika virus disease, Chikungunya fever and measles mainly occurred in America and the epidemics of West Nile fever and measles mainly occurred in Europe.