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Disease reporting requirements for King County health care professionals
In Washington state, health care professionals, health care facilities, laboratories, veterinarians, food service establishments, child day care facilities, and schools are legally required to notify public health authorities at their local health jurisdiction of suspected or confirmed cases of selected diseases or conditions. These are referred to as notifiable conditions.
⚠️ 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 (PDF). Laboratories should refer to a separate Laboratory Notifiable Conditions reporting poster (PDF).
- Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Chapter 246-101: Notifiable conditions rule
In Washington state, health care professionals, health care facilities, laboratories, veterinarians, food service establishments, child day care facilities, and schools are legally required to notify public health authorities at their local health jurisdiction of suspected or confirmed cases of selected diseases or conditions. These are referred to as notifiable conditions. Washington's notifiable conditions rule was revised on February 5, 2011. - Notifiable condition reporting: Questions and answers
Including HIPAA considerations and why reporting is important.
Where to report a notifiable condition in King County
- AIDS/HIV
206-263-2000
Download the HIV/AIDS Case Reporting Form (108 KB)
Health care providers diagnosing or treating a patient with HIV or AIDS must complete a case report form as mandated by law. The form is submitted to Public Health at the address printed on the form. Please contact our staff at 206-263-2410 with any questions on completing this form. You may fax the form to our secure fax number at 206-744-0403. - Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection
HCV is now reportable by health care providers and institutions (not laboratories) in order to define the prevalence of disease locally, and to provide data necessary to obtain and allocate resources for HCV prevention activities. Public Health will classify cases as confirmed, probable or possible based on the following criteria. - Tuberculosis (TB)
206-744-4579 - Other communicable diseases
206-296-4774
- Automated 24-hour reporting line for conditions not immediately notifiable
206-296-4782
- Fax number for conditions not immediately notifiable (Please note, the fax machine is located in a secured and locked room)
206-296-4803 - Download the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Case Reporting Form (1.2 MB)
Completed STI Case Report forms can be faxed to 206-744-5622 or mailed to:
Public Health Sexual Health Clinic
Ninth and Jefferson Building
908 Jefferson St, 11th Floor
Seattle, WA
Phone: 206-744-3590
For assistance with the STI Case Report Form, you may call 206-744-6594
Reporting requirements for health care providers
Washington Administrative Codes:
- Notifiable conditions and the health care provider (WAC 246-101-101)
- Duties of the health care provider (WAC 246-101-105)
Download form to report notifiable conditions in King County residents
Conditions in non-King County residents should be reported to the local health jurisdiction of their county of residence
List of notifiable conditions (PDF version)
Immediately notifiable conditions in bold should be reported when suspected or confirmed
| Reporting timeframes |
|---|
| Imm Immediately: When suspected or confirmed |
| 24h Within 24 hours |
| 3d Within 3 business days |
| Mo Monthly |
- 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
Conditions notifiable to the Washington State Department of Health
The following conditions should be reported by health care providers directly to the Washington State Department of Health:
- Asthma, occupational (suspected or confirmed, report monthly):
1-888-66-SHARP (888-667-4277) - Birth defects (autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and alcohol related birth defects-report monthly):
360-236-3533 - Pesticide poisoning (hospitalized, fatal, or cluster, report immediately):
1-800-222-1222 - Pesticide poisoning (all other-report within 3 days):
1-800-222-1222
Requirements for health care facilities, schools, child care programs, veterinarians, and food service establishments
Washington Administrative Codes for the responsibilities of:
- Health care facilities (WAC 246-101-301)
- Veterinarians (WAC 246-101-405)
- Food service establishments (WAC 246-101-410)
- Child day care facilities (WAC 246-101-415)
- Schools (WAC 246-101-420)
- General public (WAC 246-101-425)
What information to include in a report
When reporting a notifiable condition please supply as much of the following information as possible. Providing this information with the case report can save valuable time:
- Patient's name
- Date of birth
- Race
- Gender
- Home phone
- Work phone
- Address
- Disease
- Method of diagnosis
- Date of onset
- Date of diagnosis
- Lab test results
- Treatment given
- Possible source
- Attending physician
- Physician's phone number
- Additional comments
- Name/title of person making report
- Phone number of person making report
- Hospital admission/ER visit date
- Discharge date
For hepatitis reports, please also include the following if available:
- Liver transaminases (ALT, AST) and bilirubin
- Hepatitis screen results (including positive and negative tests for other causes of viral hepatitis)
- Risk factors
- Pregnancy status
Reporting requirements for laboratories
This section is currently being updated. For the most up to date list of conditions that laboratories are required to report to Public Health, please refer to this Washington State Department of Health Laboratory Notifiable Conditions reporting poster.
When reporting a notifiable condition please supply as much of the following information as possible. Providing this information with the case report can save valuable time:
- Washington Administrative Codes:
Notifiable conditions and laboratories (WAC 246-101-201)
Duties of the laboratory director (WAC 246-101-205)
- List of notifiable conditions for laboratories (65 KB)
Please note that some of the conditions on the list are notifiable directly to the Washington Department of Health.
- Submit specimens to:
Washington State Public Health Laboratories
Washington State Department of Health
1610 NE 150th St
Seattle, WA 98155
Phone: 206-418-5400
- Report TB isolates and antibiotic sensitivities to:
Washington State Public Health
STD/TB Section
7211 Cleanwater Lane, Building 14
PO Box 47837
Olympia, WA 98504-7837
Phone: 360-236-3473
Fax: 360-236-3405