DHS 145.03(26) (26) “Surveillance” means the systematic collection of data pertaining to the occurrence of specific diseases, the analysis and interpretation of these data and the dissemination of consolidated and processed information to those who need to know.

DHS 145.03(27) (27) “Suspected case” means a person thought to have a particular communicable disease on the basis of clinical or laboratory criteria or both.

DHS 145.03 History History: Cr. Register, April, 1984, No. 340, eff. 5-1-84; am. (2) and (11), Register, February, 1989, No. 398, eff. 3-1-89; correction in (8) and (9) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; r. and recr. Register, March, 2000, No. 531, eff. 4-1-00; CR 07-090: am. (19) and (20) Register February 2008 No. 626, eff. 3-1-08; correction in (9) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register January 2009 No. 637; CR 17-014: am. (19), Register June 2018 No. 750 eff. 7-1-18; correction in (19) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register June 2018 No. 750.

DHS 145.04 DHS 145.04 Reports of communicable diseases.

DHS 145.04(1) (1) Responsibility for reporting.

DHS 145.04(1)(a) (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.

DHS 145.04(1)(b) (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.

DHS 145.04(1)(bg) (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.

DHS 145.04(1)(br) (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.

DHS 145.04(1)(c) (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.

DHS 145.04(1)(cm) (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.

DHS 145.04(1)(d) (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.

DHS 145.04(1)(e) (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.

DHS 145.04(1)(g) (g) Nothing in this subsection lessens the requirement for confidentiality of HIV test results under s. 252.15, Stats.

DHS 145.04(2) (2) Content of report.

DHS 145.04(2)(a) (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.

DHS 145.04(2)(b) (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.

DHS 145.04(2)(c) (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.

DHS 145.04(2)(d) (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.

DHS 145.04(3) (3) Urgency of reports.

DHS 145.04(3)(a) (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.

DHS 145.04(3)(b) (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.

DHS 145.04(4) (4) Handling of reports by the local health officer.

DHS 145.04(4)(a) (a) The local health officer shall notify the state epidemiologist immediately of any cases or suspected cases reported under sub. (3) (a).

DHS 145.04(4)(b) (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.

DHS 145.04(4)(c) (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.

DHS 145.04 History History: Cr. Register, April, 1984, No. 340, eff. 5-1-84; am. (1), (2) (a) to (c), (3) (a) and (b), cr. (1m), Register, February, 1989, No. 398, eff. 3-1-89; correction in (1m) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; renum. and am. (1m) to be (1) (g), am. (3) (a), (4) (a) and cr. (4) (c), Register, March, 2000, No. 531, eff. 4-1-00; CR 07-090: cr. (1) (bg), (br) and (cm), am. (2) (b), r. (3) (c) Register February 2008 No. 626, eff. 3-1-08.

DHS 145.05 DHS 145.05 Investigation and control of communicable diseases.

DHS 145.05(1) (1) The local health officer shall use all reasonable means to confirm in a timely manner any case or suspected case of a communicable disease and shall ascertain so far as possible all sources of infection and exposures to the infection. Follow-up and investigative information shall be completed by the local health officer and reported to the state epidemiologist on forms provided by the department.