Notifiable Conditions

• General Instructions
• Special Instructions
• Laboratories
• Conditions

Notifiable Conditions List:

Notifiable Conditions List

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Several Texas laws (Health & Safety Code, Chapters 81, 84, and 87) require specific information regarding notifiable conditions be provided to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Health care providers, hospitals, laboratories, schools, and others are required to report patients who are suspected of having a notifiable condition (Chapter 97, Title 25, Texas Administrative Code ).

General Instructions

• WHAT: The table below lists notifiable conditions in Texas. In addition to these conditions, any outbreaks, exotic diseases, and unusual group expressions of disease must be reported. All diseases shall be reported by name, age, sex, race/ethnicity, DOB, address, telephone number, disease, date of onset, method of diagnosis, and name, address, and telephone number of physician.
  
• WHEN: The Reportable Conditions List (PDF) indicates when to report each condition. Cases or suspected cases of illness considered to be public health emergencies, outbreaks, exotic diseases, and unusual group expressions of disease must be reported to the local health department or DSHS immediately. Other diseases for which there must be a quick public health response must be reported within one working day. All other conditions must be reported to the local health department or DSHS within one week.
  
• HOW: Most notifiable conditions, or other illnesses that may be of public health significance, should be reported directly to the local or health service regions. Paper reporting forms can be obtained by calling your local or health service region or by download in PDF format (Epi-2 for more detailed single case medical care provider reports or Epi-1 for less detailed multiple reports). As a last resort or in case of emergency, reports can be made by telephone to the state office at 800-252-8239 or 512-776-7111. Calling 512-776-7111 after hours will reach the physician/epidemiologist-on-call.

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Special Instructions

• See reporting requirements for HIV/AIDS and other notifiable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/healthcare/reporting.shtm.

• Meningitis types include aseptic/viral, bacterial (specify etiology), fungal, parasitic, and other.
  
• Invasive streptococcal disease, invasive meningococcal infection, or invasive Haemophilius influenzae type b infections refers to isolates from normally sterile sites and includes meningitis, septicemia, cellulitis, epiglottitis, osteomyelitis, pericarditis, septic arthritis, and necrotizing fasciitis.

For more information, call the Infectious Disease Control Unit (IDCU) at (800) 252-8239 (press 1).

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Laboratories

Laboratory Services Section Manual of Reference Services

Laboratory Services Section Forms

See reporting requirements for HIV/AIDS and other notifiable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/healthcare/reporting.shtm.

Immediately report isolates of vancomycin intermediate and resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and (VRSA) by calling (800) 252-8239 or faxing (512) 776-7616. Isolates of VISA and VRSA shall be submitted to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Laboratory Services Section, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756-3199. All reports of VISA and VRSA shall include patient name; date of birth or age; sex; city of submitter; anatomic site of culture; date of culture; and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) if available.

Laboratories shall submit pure cultures of all Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium botulinum, Brucella species, E. coli 0157:H7, isolates or specimens from cases where Shiga-toxin activity is demonstrated, Listeria monocytogenes, Neisseria meningitidisfrom normally sterile sites, Yersinia pestis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, Francisella tularensis, Staphylococcus aureus with a vancomycin MIC greater than 2 µg/mL (VISA and VRSA), and Vibrio species accompanied by a current department Specimen Submission Form to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Laboratory Services Section, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756-3199.

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In addition to specified reportable conditions, any outbreak, exotic disease, or unusual group expression of disease that may be of public health concern should be reported by the most expeditious means available.

*See condition-specific footnote for reporting contact information
¹ Please refer to specific rules and regulations for HIV/STD reporting and who to report to at: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/hivstd/healthcare/reporting.shtm.
² Labs conducting confirmatory HIV testing are requested to send remaining specimen to a CDC-designated laboratory. Please call 512-533-3041 for details.
³ Reporting forms are available at: http//www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/investigation/forms. Investigation forms at: http//www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/investigation/. Call as indicated for immediately reportable conditions.
⁴ Lab isolate must be sent to DSHS lab. Call 512-458-7598 for specimen submission information.
⁵ Reportable Arbovirus infections include neuroinvasive and non-neuroinvasive California serogroup, Eastern Equine (EEE), Dengue, Powassan, St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE), West Nile, and Western Equine (WEE).
⁶ Please refer to specific rules and regulations for environmental and toxicology reporting and who to report to at: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/epitox/default.shtm.
⁷ Please refer to specific rules and regulations for cancer reporting and who to report to at: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/tcr/reporting.shtm
⁸ Varicella reporting form is at: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/health/vaccine_preventable_diseases/forms/f11_11046.pdf. Call local health dept for copy with their fax number.
⁹ Not applicable to private facilities. Initial reporting forms for Contaminated Sharps at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/health/infection_control/bloodborne_pathogens/reporting/..
¹⁰ Contact local poison center at 1-800-222-1222. For instructions, forms, and fax numbers see:http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/epidemiology/epipoison.shtm.
¹¹Report cytogenetic results including routine karyotype and cytogenetic microarray testing (fetus and infant only). Please refer to specific rules and regulations for birth defects reporting and who to report to at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/birthdefects/BD_LawRules.shtm.
¹² Please refer to specific rules and regulations for injury reporting and who to report to at: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/injury/default.shtm
¹³ Laboratories should report syphilis test results within 3 work days of the testing outcome.
¹⁴ MTB complex includes M.tuberculosis, M.bovis, M.africanum, M.canettii, M.microti, M.caprae, and M.pinnipedii. Please see rules at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/tb/reporting/.

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24/7 Phone Number      1-800-705-8868

Report confirmed and suspected cases.
Unless noted by ^*, report to your local or regional health department using number above or find contact information at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/investigation/conditions/contacts


Department of State Health Services Business Hours 1-800-252-8239/ After Hours 512-776-7111
E59–11364 (Rev. 1/21/12 Expires 1/31/13)