Physician's Guide to Medicine - Communicable Diseases

What diseases must be reported to the Department of Health?
Who is responsible for reporting communicable diseases?

What diseases must be reported to the Department of Health?

Category I diseases or findings must be reported to the Department of Health or the local health authority within twenty-four hours of first knowledge or suspicion by telephone, facsimile, or other rapid communication. Category I diseases or findings are:

Acute chemical poisoning as defined in 56 FR 52166-52175
Anthrax
Botulism
Brucellosis
Cholera
Diphtheria
Group A Streptococcal disease, invasive
Haemophilus influenzae disease, invasive, including Meningitis
Hantavirus
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, post-diarrheal
Hepatitis A
Hyperthermia
Hypothermia
Measles
Meningococcal disease, invasive, including meningitis
Methemoglobinemia
Outbreaks or epidemics of any illness, disease or condition that may be of public health concern
Pesticide poisoning
Plague
Poliomyelitis
Psittacosis
Rabies
Rubella
Syphilis
Tuberculosis disease
Typhoid fever

Category II diseases or findings must be reported to the Department of Health or the local health authority within three days of first knowledge or suspicion. Category II diseases are:

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
Arsenic poisoning
Cadmium poisoning
Campylabacter infections
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Chancroid
Chlamydia trachomatis infections
Cryptosporidiosis
E. coli 0157:h7
Ehrlichiosis
Encephalitis, arthropod-borne
Giardiasis
Gonorrhea
Hepatitis B (acute)
Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (prenatal HbsAg) positive screening
of pregnant women
Hepatitis non-A, non-B
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, confirmed
Influenza
Kawasaki disease
Lead exposure greater than or equal to ten micrograms per deciliter in persons under age eighteen or greater than or equal to twenty-five micrograms per deciliter in persons age eighteen or greater
Legionellosis
Leptospirosis
Listeria monocytogenes
Lyme disease
Malaria
Meningitis, aseptic
Mercury poisoning
Mumps
Mycobacterial disease other than tuberculosis (MOTT)
Nosocomial outbreaks
Occupational lung diseases including silicosis, asbestosis, byssinosis, farmer's lung and toxic organic dust syndrome
Pertussis
Respiratory diseases triggered by environmental factors including environmentally or occupationally induced asthma and bronchitis
Reye syndrome
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Salmonella infections
Shigella infections
Tetanus
T-Helper (CD4+) lymphocyte count on any person with HIV infection
Toxic shock syndrome
Trichinosis
Tuberculosis infection
Tularemia
Yersinia enterocolitica

In addition, the occurrence of any outbreak or epidemic of any illness or disease which may be of public health concern, including any illness in a food handler that is potentially transmissible through food, shall be reported to the Department of Health or the local health authority by telephone, facsimile, or other rapid communication within twenty-four hours of first knowledge or suspicion.

Who is responsible for reporting communicable diseases?

A physician, physician's assistant, nurse, hospital, clinic, or other private or public institution providing care to any person who is suffering from or suspected of having a reportable communicable disease must either make the report or cause the report to be made by their designee.