NAC441A.225. General requirements for certain reports to health authority and rabies control authority; establishment of after-hours reporting system.

     1. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a report of a case or suspected case, which is required to be made pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, must be made to the health authority during the regular business hours of the health authority on the first working day following the identification of the case or suspected case. The report may be made by:

     (a) Telephone;

     (b) Telecopy, in the form prescribed by the health authority; or

     (c) Any form of electronic communication identified by the health authority, in the form and manner specified by the health authority.

     2. A report must be made immediately after identifying a case having or a suspected case considered to have:

     (a) Anthrax;

     (b) Foodborne botulism;

     (c) Botulism, other than foodborne botulism, infant botulism or wound botulism;

     (d) Extraordinary occurrence of illness;

     (e) Influenza that is known or suspected to be of a viral strain that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization has determined poses a risk of a national or global pandemic;

     (f) Meningococcal disease;

     (g) Plague;

     (h) Rabies, human;

     (i) Poliovirus infection;

     (j) Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS);

     (k) Smallpox (variola);

     (l) Tularemia;

     (m) Viral hemorrhagic fever; or

     (n) Any infection or disease that is known or suspected to be related to an act of intentional transmission or biological terrorism, or that is or is considered possibly to be part of an outbreak or a suspected outbreak.

     3. A report must be made to the health authority within 24 hours after identifying a case having:

     (a) Infant botulism;

     (b) Wound botulism;

     (c) Brucellosis;

     (d) Cholera;

     (e) Diphtheria;

     (f) Haemophilus influenzae type b;

     (g) Hepatitis A;

     (h) Hepatitis E;

     (i) Measles;

     (j) Mumps;

     (k) Pertussis;

     (l) Rubella;

     (m) Typhoid fever; or

     (n) Tuberculosis.

     4. A report must be made to the health authority within 24 hours after identifying a suspected case considered possibly to have:

     (a) Diphtheria;

     (b) Measles;

     (c) Rubella; or

     (d) Tuberculosis.

     5. A report to the health authority made pursuant to subsection 2, 3 or 4 must be made by telephone if it is made during the regular business hours of the health authority or using the after-hours reporting system if the report is made at any other time.

     6. A report of animal rabies or an animal bite by a rabies-susceptible animal must be made to the health authority or to the rabies control authority, if designated by the health authority, within 24 hours after identifying the case. The report must be made by telephone if it is made during the regular business hours of the health authority or rabies control authority, as applicable, or using the after-hours reporting system if the report is made at any other time.

     7. Each health authority and rabies control authority shall establish and maintain an after-hours reporting system.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Health, eff. 1-24-92; A by R087-08, 1-13-2011)