Translate
Notifiable conditions reporting
Questions and answers
This webpage is currently being updated. For the most up to date list of conditions that healthcare providers are required to report to Public Health, please refer to this Washington State Department of Health Notifiable Conditions reporting poster for health care providers/facilities. Laboratories should refer to a separate Laboratory Notifiable Conditions reporting poster.
As a health care provider, you are the eyes and ears of Public Health. Reporting notifiable conditions makes it possible for us to detect outbreaks, prevent secondary transmission, and conduct disease surveillance. For some diseases, timely reporting can help prevent illness and death.
Yes. HIPAA allows health care providers, health care facilities, and health plans to disclose protected health information to public health authorities for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability [45 CFR § 164.512(b)]. Patient consent is not required.
More information on HIPAA and notifiable conditions reporting is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This webpage is currently being updated. For the most up to date list of conditions that healthcare providers are required to report to Public Health, please refer to this Washington State Department of Health Notifiable Conditions reporting poster for health care providers/facilities.
The following conditions are notifiable to Public Health — Seattle & King County in accordance with WAC 246-101. Timeframes for notification are footnoted. Immediately notifiable conditions in bold should be reported when suspected or confirmed.
- Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (including AIDS in persons previously reported with HIV infection) 3d
- Animal bites (when human exposure to rabies is suspected) Imm
- Anthrax Imm
- Arboviral disease (West Nile virus disease, dengue, Eastern and Western equine encephalitis, St Louis encephalitis, and Powassan)3d
- Botulism (foodborne, wound and infant) Imm
- Brucellosis (Brucella species) 24h
- Burkholdier mallei (Glanders) and pseudomallei (Melioidosis) Imm
- Campylobacteriosis 3d
- Chancroid 3d
- Chlamydia trachomatis infection 3d
- Cholera Imm
- Coronavirus (MERS-CoV, SARS, Other Novel Coronavirus) Imm
- Cryptosporidiosis 3d
- Cyclosporiasis 3d
- DiphtheriaImm
- Disease of suspected bioterrorism origin Imm
- Domoic acid poisoning Imm
- E. coli - Refer to "Shiga toxin producing E. coli" Imm
- Emerging condition with outbreak potential Imm
- Giardiasis 3d
- Gonorrhea 3d
- Granuloma inguinale 3d
- Haemophilus influenzae (invasive disease, children < age 5) Imm
- Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome 24h
- Hepatitis A, acute infection 24h
- Hepatitis B, acute 24h
- Hepatitis B, chronic (initial diagnosis/previously unreported cases) Mo
- Hepatitis B, surface antigen positive pregnant women 3d
- Hepatitis C, acute 3d and chronic Mo (initial diagnosis only)
- Hepatitis D (acute and chronic infections) 3d
- Hepatitis E (acute infection) 24h
- Herpes simplex, neonatal and genital (initial infection only) 3d
- HIV infection 3d
- Immunization reactions 3d (severe, adverse)
- Influenza, novel or untypable strain Imm
- Influenza-associated death (lab confirmed) 3d
- Legionellosis 24h
- Leptospirosis 24h
- Listeriosis 24h
- Lyme disease 3d
- Lymphogranuloma venereum 3d
- Malaria 3d
- Measles (rubeola) acute disease only Imm
- Meningococcal disease (invasive) Imm
- Monkeypox Imm
- Mumps (acute disease only) 24h
- Outbreaks of suspected foodborne origin Imm
- Outbreaks of suspected waterborne origin Imm
- Paralytic shellfish poisoning Imm
- Pertussis 24h
- Plague Imm
- Poliomyelitis Imm
- Prion disease 3d
- Psittacosis 24h
- Q fever 24h
- Rabies (confirmed human or animal) Imm
- Rabies, suspected human exposure Imm
- Relapsing fever (borreliosis) 24h
- Rubella (including congenital rubella syndrome) (acute disease only) Imm
- Salmonellosis 24h
- SARS Imm
- Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections (including but not limited to E. coli 0157:H7) Imm
- Shigellosis 24h
- Smallpox Imm
- Syphilis (including congenital) 3d
- Tetanus 3d
- Trichinosis 3d
- Tuberculosis Imm
- Tularemia Imm
- Vaccinia transmission Imm
- Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (not to include vancomycin intermediate) 24h
- Varicella-associated death 3d
- Vibriosis 24h
- Viral hemorrhagic fever Imm
- Yellow fever Imm
- Yersiniosis 24h
- Other rare diseases of public health significance 24h
- Unexplained critical illness or death 24h
| Imm | Immediately - report when suspected or confirmed |
|---|---|
| 24h | Within 24 hours |
| 3d | Within 3 business days |
| Mo | Monthly |
Conditions notifiable to the Washington State Dept. of Health:
- Asthma, conditional (suspected and confirmed) Mo 1-888-66-SHARP
- Birth defects (autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and alcohol-related birth defects) Mo
- Pesticide poisoning (hospitalized, fatal, or cluster) Imm
- Pesticide poisoning (all other) 3d
To report a notifiable condition in King County:
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) must be reported via fax or mail on a specific STD Confidential Case Report form.
Fax: 206-744-5622
- Tuberculosis (daytime and after hours)
Phone: 206-744-4579
Fax: 206-744-4350
- HIV/AIDS
Phone: 206-263-2000
- All other notifiable communicable diseases (daytime and after hours)
Phone: 206-296-4774
Fax: 206-296-4803
- Voicemail for reporting ONLY non-immediately notifiable conditions (24 hours a day)
Phone: 206-296-4782
No. Notifiable conditions also include "unexplained critical illness or death," "rare diseases of public health significance" (such as a case of Cryptococcus gattii infection) and disease clusters of suspected foodborne or waterborne origin (for example, a single sporadic case of gastroenteritis due to norovirus is not reportable, but a cluster of ill children with vomiting and diarrhea after returning from camp would be).
Not necessarily. Immediately notifiable conditions (for example, tuberculosis, measles, hepatitis A, pertussis, meningococcal disease, and suspected bioterrorism agents), should be reported as soon as they are clinically suspected, preferably while you are still with the patient. These are listed in bold. "If in Doubt, Report it Out."
Provide the patient's notifiable condition, demographic and contact information, your name and phone number, relevant clinical and laboratory data (such as liver transaminases for patients with hepatitis), risk factors/suspect exposure sources (e.g., a history of injection drug use for hepatitis B or C), travel history, information on ill family members or other contacts, and whether the patient is in a sensitive occupation (such as a restaurant worker or child care provider with E. coli O157:H7). Please indicate if the patient is aware of the diagnosis, as we prefer to do interviews after the patient is informed.
Report cases of tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV/AIDS to their respective programs in Public Health. For all other conditions, contact the Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization Section at 206-296-4774. See item #3 above for contact information, or refer to our website or the notifiable condition pocket card.
Yes. Don't assume that a laboratory has reported a condition. Laboratories don't report suspected cases, clinically diagnosed cases, or clusters of illness that are not laboratory-confirmed.
Yes. Unless you know that a case of a notifiable condition has already been reported, you are legally required to report it to Public Health.