WAC 246-101-510   Means of notification.  (1) Local health departments shall notify the department immediately by telephone or secure electronic data transmission of any case or suspected case of:

     (a) Botulism;

     (b) Cholera;

     (c) Diphtheria;

     (d) Disease of suspected bioterrorism origin (including, but not limited to, anthrax);

     (e) Emerging condition with outbreak potential;

     (f) Influenza, novel strain;

     (g) Measles;

     (h) Paralytic shellfish poisoning;

     (i) Plague;

     (j) Poliomyelitis;

     (k) Rabies, human;

     (l) SARS;

     (m) Smallpox;

     (n) Tularemia;

     (o) Viral hemorrhagic fever; and

     (p) Yellow fever.

     (2) Immediate notifications of cases and suspected cases shall include:

     (a) Patient name;

     (b) Patient's notifiable condition; and

     (c) Condition onset date.

     (3) For each case of any condition notifiable to the local health department, submit to the department case report either on a form provided by the department or in a format approved by the department. Case reports must be sent by secure electronic transmission or telephone within seven days of completing the case investigation. If the case investigation is not complete within twenty-one days of notification, pertinent information collected from the case investigation must be sent to the department and shall include:

     (a) Patient name;

     (b) Patient's notifiable condition or suspected condition;

     (c) Source or suspected source; and

     (d) Condition onset date.

     (4) Local health officials will report asymptomatic HIV infection cases to the department according to a standard code developed by the department.

     (5) When notified of an outbreak or suspected outbreak of illness due to an infectious agent or toxin, the local health department shall:

     (a) Notify the department immediately by telephone or secure electronic data transmission.

     (b) Include in the initial notification:

     (i) Organism or suspected organism;

     (ii) Source or suspected source; and

     (iii) Number of persons affected.

     (c) Within seven days of completing the outbreak investigation, submit to the department a report on forms provided by the department or in a format approved by the department. The department may waive this requirement if telephone or secure electronic data transmission provided pertinent information.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. 11-02-065, § 246-101-510, filed 1/4/11, effective 2/4/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050, 70.24.125 and 70.28.010. 00-23-120, § 246-101-510, filed 11/22/00, effective 12/23/00.]