Reporting Communications Archive

Refer to the archive below for notifiable conditions-related communications sent from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) to laboratories through a variety of outlets, including emails/letters to Lab Directors and Staff, Elaborations newsletters, and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) updates.

Date Source Condition(s) Title and Brief Summary
June 2020 Dr. Scott Lindquist,
State Epidemiologist for
Communicable Diseases
COVID-19 Lab Directors/Managers and
Clinical Partners Letter requesting
patient demographic information
March 2020 Dr. Scott Lindquist,
State Epidemiologist for
Communicable Diseases
COVID-19 COVID-19 Lab Reporting
August
2018
Dr. Scott Lindquist,
State Epidemiologist for
Communicable Diseases
Zika Zika Reporting Update: Request to stop
reporting negative Zika results.
January/February
2017
Dr. Scott Lindquist,
State Epidemiologist for
Communicable Diseases
All New Resources for Clinical Lab
Reporting
: including the new
Clinical Lab Reporting webpage and
updated Lab Reporting posting.
December 18,
2016
Dr. Scott Lindquist,
State Epidemiologist for
Communicable Diseases
Influenza Flu Reporting Requirements:
Report novel and unsubtypable
influenza strain results to
patient's local health
jurisdiction and submit isolates
to the Public Health Lab
November/
December 2016

Elaborations -

DOH - Public Health Lab
and Communicable
Disease Epidemiology

Antibiotic Resistant Oragnisms Antibiotic Resistant Organisms:
CRE surveillance requests for all
Washington labs, plus expanded
antibiotic resistance surveillance
partnerships with sentinel labs.
September/
October 2016
Elaborations -
Dr. Scott Lindquist,
State Epidemiologist for
Communicable Diseases
All Notifiable Conditions
Reporting
: Confirm your lab
is including all required data
with notifiable conditions
results sent to public health
September
2016
Dr. Scott Lindquist,
State Epidemiologist for
Communicable Diseases
All Notifiable Conditions
Reporting email 9-22-2016

and Lab Director's Letter
9-20-2016
: Review
notifiable conditions data
element reporting
requirements
August 9,
2016
Dr. Scott Lindquist,
State Epidemiologist for
Communicable Diseases
All Electronic Laboratory
Reporting and DOH's Vital
Partnership with Clinical
Laboratories
May 9, 2016 DOH - Communicable
Disease Epidemiology
Zika Zika Reporting:
Notify patient's local health
jurisdiction of positive and
negative Zika results.
January/
February
2016
Elaborations -
DOH - Laboratory
Reporting Business Team
All Electronic Reporting of
Laboratory Results for
Notifiable Conditions
:
Mandatory electronic lab
reporting (ELR) is under
consideration to improve
reporting speed,
notification accuracy and
outbreak investigation
July/August
2015
Elaborations -
DOH - Public Health Lab
and Communicable
Disease Epidemiology
Carbapenem-
Resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
(CRE)
Carbapenem-Resistance
Enterobacteriaceae -
Updated Surveillance
Case Definition
: Submit
isolates meeting the
updated CRE case
definition to the Public
Health Lab
September 8,
2014
DOH - Communicable
Disease Epidemiology
Coccidioidomycosis Coccidioidomycosis
Reporting Changes email

and Coccidioidomycosis
Reporting in Washington
9-08-2014 attachment
:
Report positive lab
findings to patient's local
health jurisdiction and
submit isolates to the
Public Health Lab
March/April
2014
Elaborations -
DOH - Environmental
Public Health
Blood Lead Elevated Blood Lead -
Updated Definition
: Confirm
notifiable condition blood
lead reporting meets
updated timeframe
requirements
January/
February
2014
Elaborations -
DOH - Public Health Lab
and Communicable
Disease Epidemiology
Carbapenem-
Resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
(CRE)
Changes to Washington
DOH Surveillance for
Carbapenem-Resistant
Enterobacteriaceae (CRE):

Submit isolates meeting
the CRE case definition
to the Public Health Lab
November/
December
2013
Elaborations -
DOH - Public Health Lab
and Communicable
Disease Epidemiology
Vibriosis Vibrio vulnificus Isolated
in Washington Oysters
:
Notify patient's local
health jurisdiction of
potential Vibrio vulnificus
cases
October 2,
2013
DOH - Public Health Lab All Public Health Lab
Specimens - Required
Requisition Information
:
Confirm required data
elements are included
with all reference lab
specimen submissions
October 23,
2012
DOH Carbapenem-
Resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
(CRE) and
Vancomycin-
Resistant
Staphylococcus
aureus
(VRSA)
CRE and VRSA -
Reporting and Specimen
Submission
: Notify
patient's local health
jurisdiction within 24 hours
and submit isolates to the
Public Health Lab
February 2,
2011
Washington State
Board of Health
All Revised WAC Chapter
246-101 Notifiable
Conditions, Laboratory-
specific Sections 201-230
April 28,
2009
DOH - Communicable
Disease Epidemiology
Influenza Please note: WAC update,
effective February 2, 2011,
supersedes this request

Swine Flu Outbreak:
Requested laboratories
reporting notifiable conditions
electronically to add influenza
result notifications