GOAL:
Disease control is the shared responsibility of health care providers and the Yolo County Health Department. Timely reporting of communicable diseases by health care providers ensures an early, appropriate, and effective public health response with the goal of preventing illness and death thereby reducing the financial and psychosocial costs associated with these diseases in our community.
TO REPORT A DISEASE:
BUSINESS HOURS (8am - 5pm): To report an URGENT communicable disease concern during business hours, call 530-666-8645. For non-urgent communicable diseases, please download and complete the Confidential Morbidity Report (CMR). The second page of the form lists all reportable diseases and guidelines for reporting.
NON-BUSINESS HOURS: The Yolo County Health Department is accessible after hours and on holidays through the Yolo County Emergency Operations Center at 530-666-8920 for URGENT communicable disease concerns. Please be prepared to provide the dispatcher with your name, affiliation, the nature of the report or emergency and a phone number where you can be contacted by the Yolo County Health Department on-call staff.
Download the CONFIDENTIAL MORBIDITY REPORT (CMR) FORM HERE.
ONLINE REPORTING for Health Care Facilities
DISEASE REPORTING FRQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs):
WHAT IS THE LEGAL BASIS FOR DISEASE REPORTING IN CALIFORNIA?
Disease reporting requirements have been set forth by the California Legislature in Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR). Title 17 requires that health care providers report certain diseases to the local health authority using the Confidential Morbidity Report (CMR).
CCR Title 17, Section 2500 describes reportable disease requirements in detail and is available ONLINE. Click on Title 17 Public Health, Chapter 4, Preventive Medical Services, Article 1, Reporting, and see Sections 2500-2511. For HIV non-name reporting, see Section 2641.5, and for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, see Sections 2800-2812.
WHAT DISEASES MUST BE REPORTED?
Refer to the List of Reportable Diseases and Conditions or the second page of the Confidential Morbidity Report.
WHO MUST REPORT DISEASES?
According to Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, health care providers include physicians, podiatrists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, nurse midwives, school nurses, infection control practitioners, medical examiners, coroners, veterinarians and dentists. These health care providers are required to report certain diseases to the local health authority. Title 17, Section 2500 describes reportable disease requirements in detail (refer to 'What is the Legal Basis for Reporting in California' FAQ above.)
WHY MUST HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS REPORT?
Failure to report a reportable disease is a citable offense for health care providers. However, this is not and should not be the primary motivating factor for reporting. Health care providers are the first and only line of defense in recognizing emerging public health issues. The window of opportunity afforded by early reporting directly impacts the effectiveness of any public health response. Reporting of other diseases (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis C) also directly determines federal and state funds that communities may receive for prevention, treatment and case management.
HOW QUICKLY MUST DISEASES BE REPORTED?
Refer to the List of Reportable Diseases and Conditions for required deadlines. In general, any disease that may require an immediate public health response (e.g., measles) must be called in ASAP 24/7. Other diseases may be reported by Confidential Morbidity Report (CMR) within one working day or within one week according to page two of the CMR.
HOW DOES THE HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILTY ACT (HIPAA) AFFECT DISEASE REPORTING?
HIPAA does not preclude disease reporting and, in fact, makes special allowances for the transfer of Public Health Information (PHI) to the local health authority.
DON'T LABS REPORT ALL THESE DISEASES ANYWAY?
NO! Title 17 requires health care providers to submit a Confidential Morbidity Report (CMR) for all reportable diseases, regardless of whether or not it is also reported by the lab. Labs are only required to report a subset of diseases. Additionally, labs often lack demographic information, risk information, and a clinical interpretation of the lab results all of which are required for an appropriate public health response.
SHOULD I WAIT FOR LAB CONFIRMATION BEFORE REPORTING A DISEASE?
For diseases that require an immediate public health response (e.g., measles), DO NOT WAIT TO REPORT – REPORT THESE DISEASES AS SOON AS THEY ARE SUSPECTED. Unusual illnesses or illnesses that may be related to an outbreak or bioterrorism should also be reported as soon as they are identified. For all other diseases where an immediate public health response is not required (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis C), report when diagnosis is confirmed.
WHAT IF MY PATIENT IS NOT A RESIDENT OF YOLO COUNTY?
If the patient was examined or treated in Yolo County, then report to the Yolo County Health Department as required in Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations. Local health departments in California routinely forward the reports to the appropriate jurisdiction as needed.
IS SOMEONE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER COMMUNICABLE DISEASE QUESTIONS?
Yolo County Health Department staff is available for consultation and to answer questions related to communicable disease during business hours by calling 530-666-8645.
WHAT DISEASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN YOLO COUNTY IN THE PAST?
Click here: Yolo County Communicable Disease Statistics.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC DISEASES: