Header:
WISCONSIN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES
CHAPTER DHS 145. CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
SUBCHAPTER I -- GENERAL PROVISIONS
Date:
08/31/2009
Document:
DHS 145.04 Reports of communicable diseases.
(1) RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPORTING. (a) Any person licensed under ch. 441 or 448, Stats., knowing of or in attendance on a case or suspected case shall notify the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, the state epidemiologist, in the manner prescribed in this section.
(b) Each laboratory shall report the identification or suspected identification of a disease-causing organism or laboratory findings indicating the presence of a communicable disease to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist.
(bg) Each laboratory shall forward a specimen to the state laboratory of hygiene, or another laboratory designated by the state epidemiologist, for confirmatory or investigation purposes if requested by the state epidemiologist.
(br) Each laboratory shall report a negative test result to the local health officer to justify release from isolation or quarantine if requested by the state epidemiologist or the local health officer.
(c) Each health care facility shall ensure that reports are made to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist, in the manner specified in sub. (3). When a case is identified or suspected in a health care facility having an organized program of infection control, the person in charge of the infection control program shall ensure that the case or suspected case is reported to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist, minimizing unnecessary duplication.
(cm) Each health care facility shall report a negative test result to the local health officer to justify release from isolation or quarantine if requested by the state epidemiologist or the local health officer.
(d) Any teacher, principal or nurse serving a school or day care center knowing of a case or suspected case in the school or center shall notify the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, the state epidemiologist, in the manner prescribed in this section.
(e) Any person who knows or suspects that a person has a communicable disease shall report the facts to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist.
(g) Nothing in this subsection lessens the requirement for confidentiality of HIV test results under s. 252.15. Stats.
(2) CONTENT OF REPORT. (a) Each report under sub. (1) (a) to (d) of a case or suspected case of a communicable disease to the local health officer or the state epidemiologist shall include the name and address of the person reporting and of the attending physician, if any, the diagnosed or suspected disease, the name of the ill or affected individual, that individual's address and telephone number, age or date of birth, race and ethnicity, sex, county of residence, date of onset of the disease, name of parent or guardian if a minor, and other facts the department or local health officer requires for the purposes of surveillance, control and prevention of communicable disease.
(b) Reports may be written, verbal, or by electronic transmission. Written reports shall be on the individual case report form provided by the department and distributed by the local health officer or on a form containing the information required under par. (a). Reports shall be submitted to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist.
(c) Reports by laboratories of the identification or suspected identification of a disease-causing organism or laboratory findings indicating the presence of a communicable disease shall be made to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist. These reports shall include the name of the individual affected or ill, the individual's address, telephone number, county of residence, age or date of birth, the name of the attending physician and the identity or suspected identity of the organism or the laboratory findings.
(d) All information provided under this subsection shall remain confidential except as may be needed for the purposes of investigation, control and prevention of communicable diseases.
(3) URGENCY OF REPORTS. (a) A person, laboratory or health care facility required to report under sub. (1) shall report communicable diseases of urgent public health importance as listed in category I of Appendix A of this chapter to the local health officer immediately upon identification of a case or suspected case. If the local health officer is unavailable, the report shall be made immediately to the state epidemiologist.
(b) A person, laboratory or health care facility required to report under sub. (1) shall report communicable diseases of less urgent public health importance as listed in categories II and III of Appendix A of this chapter to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A, to the state epidemiologist, by individual case report form or by telephone within 72 hours of the identification of a case or suspected case.
(4) HANDLING OF REPORTS BY THE LOCAL HEALTH OFFICER. (a) The local health officer shall notify the state epidemiologist immediately of any cases or suspected cases reported under sub. (3) (a).
(b) At the close of each week, the local health officer shall notify the state epidemiologist in writing on a form provided by the department of all cases of reported diseases listed in Appendix A.
(c) Local health departments serving jurisdictions within the same county may, in conjunction with the department, establish a combined reporting system to expedite the reporting process.
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