Reportable Diseases

Michigan's Communicable Disease Rules

Reportable Disease Chart

Michigan's communicable disease rules are promulgated under the authority conferred on the Department of Community Health by section 5111 of Act No. 368 of the Public Acts of 1978, as amended, being 333.5111 of the Michigan Compiled Laws. Suspected violations of these rules will be reported to the appropriate licensing boards of the appropriate licensing boards of the responsible health care professional.

Health care professionals are advised to consult with their local health department if they have questions about their responsibilities.

Reporting Requirements

1. Agents of infection to be reported (listed by condition)

    Agents of infection to be reported (listed by pathogen)

2. Reporting of infections not listed.

Michigan laboratories are also authorized to report any other disease, infection, or condition judged by the laboratory director to indicate that the health of the public is threatened.

3. Timing of reporting.

Laboratories are asked to report without delay. All are required to be reported within twenty-four hours of discovery or diagnosis.

4. To whom to report - (see page 2).

Laboratories are required to report to local health authorities. When possible, these reports should be made to the local health department where the patient resides unless the local health department where the service facility is located requests that reports be routed through them.

5. Content of the report.

a. A report of an individual infection by a laboratory must contain the following, if available:

* The patients full name
* The patients residential address, including street, city, village or township, county, and zip code
* The patients telephone number
* The patients date of birth (or age) and sex
* The specific laboratory test, date performed, and the results
* The name and address of the reporting clinical laboratory
* The name, address, and telephone number of the ordering person

b. To the extent that the information is readily available, a report of an unusual occurrence, outbreak, or epidemic of a disease, infection, or other condition shall include all of the following information:

* The nature of the confirmed or suspected disease, infection, or condition
* The approximate number of cases
* The approximate illness onset dates
* The location of the outbreak

 6. Submission of tuberculosis laboratory specimens.

The clinical laboratory that initially receives any clinical specimen which yields Mycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for ensuring that the following are submitted to the department:

* The first Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolate, or subculture thereof, from an individual with tuberculosis.

* Any positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolate, or subculture thereof, from a follow-up specimen, collected 90 days or more after the collection of the first Mycobacterium tuberculosis specimen.

7. Rabies examination

A laboratory in this state that conducts examinations of animals for rabies shall report all of the following data to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services within one week after examination:

* Species of animal
* Name and address of the owner of the animal
* Name and address of the person submitting the specimen
* Name and address of the person exposed to the animal examined or the owner of the pet exposed to the animal examined
* Date and results of the examination

Reporting of Suspect Illness

When a physician or a laboratory suspects the presence of a designated condition but does not have sufficient information to be certain that the condition or agent is present, the physician or laboratory must report the designated condition or agent as suspected. Upon confirmation of the disease or presence of the agent, the physician shall report the confirmation to the appropriate local health department as a case.

Health Facility and Duplicate Reporting

Both laboratories and physicians are required to report persons with certain infections or conditions. In addition, all of the following individuals are specifically authorized to report conditions to local health authorities:

* An administrator, epidemiologist, or infection control practitioner from a health care facility or other institution
* A dentist
* A nurse
* A pharmacist
* A physician's assistant
* A veterinarian
* Any other health professional

Furthermore, health facility infection control committees are required to develop policy and procedure to ensure appropriate reporting by physicians who treat individuals at their facility and their facilities laboratory.

In many cases, duplicate reporting of the same illness may occur. Public health authorities justify this potential duplicity of effort on the basis of the importance of the information to the health of the public. All persons with reporting responsibilities should verify that these systems are in place at the medical practices and hospitals in which they work and at the laboratories they use. If there is any doubt that a condition has been reported, the physician or laboratory should err on the side of caution and report.