• Local Health Jurisdictions

• Notifiable Conditions Reporting Numbers

• Reporting Forms and Guidelines

• Disease Surveillance Data

• Glossary

• Legal Requirements

• EpiTrends

• Notifiable Conditions & the Health Care ProviderPDF, 97KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Health Care Facility(PDF, 104KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Laboratory (PDF, 55KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Local Health Jurisdiction  (PDF, 44KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Veterinarian(PDF, 60KB)

• Communicable Disease Epidemiology

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Cause: Many infectious agents including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Common agents are norovirus, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium. Bacterial agents are less commonly implicated.

Illness and treatment: Symptoms and treatment vary with the agent.

Sources: Sources vary with the agent. Waterborne outbreaks can occur from ingestion of natural or recreational water, including pools, interactive fountains, and untreated drinking water.

Additional risks: Risks vary with the agent.

Prevention: Test private wells at least every 3 years and after potential contamination such as after floods. If ill with diarrhea do not enter recreational water, pools, or interactive fountains.

Recent Washington trends: Waterborne outbreaks are often difficult to detect. There are 0 to 3 outbreaks reported each year, each with 2 to dozens or even hundreds of cases ( Waterborne Outbreaks 1991-2011).

2010: No waterborne outbreaks were reported.

Purpose of Reporting and Surveillance

• To prevent additional cases of waterborne diseases (WBD)
• To identify sources of exposure for WBD outbreaks
• To expand current understanding of the transmission, pathogenesis and community impact of illness caused by known WBD agents
• To identify new WBD agents, hazards, or gaps in the water safety system.

Legal Reporting Requirements

• Health care providers: Outbreaks immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
• Health care facilities: Outbreaks immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
• Laboratories: No requirements for reporting WBD outbreaks; see disease-specific reporting requirements
• Local health jurisdictions: Outbreaks immediately notifiable to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Communicable Disease Epidemiology (CDE) 1-877-539-4344

Note: There may be other reporting requirements for confirmed or probable cases of specific conditions.

Last update
February 2011