Section 27.21a. Reporting of cases by health care practitioners and health care facilities

(a) Except as set forth in this section or as otherwise set forth in this chapter, a health care practitioner or health care facility is required to report a case of a disease, infection or condition in subsection (b) as specified in § 27.4 (relating to reporting cases), if the health care practitioner or health care facility treats or examines a person who is suffering from, or who the health care practitioner or health care facility suspects, because of symptoms or the appearance of the individual, of having a reportable disease, infection or condition:

(1) A health care practitioner or health care facility is not required to report a case if that health care practitioner or health care facility has reported the case previously.

(2) A health care practitioner or health care facility is not required to report a case of influenza unless the disease is confirmed by laboratory evidence of the causative agent.

(3) A health care practitioner or health care facility is not required to report a case of chlamydia trachomatis infection unless the disease is confirmed by laboratory evidence of the infectious agent.

(4) A health care practitioner or health care facility is not required to report a case of cancer unless the health care practitioner or health care facility provides screening, therapy or diagnostic services to cancer patients.

(5) Only physicians and hospitals are required to report cases of AIDS.

(b) The following diseases, infections and conditions in humans are reportable by health care practitioners and health care facilities within the specified time periods and as otherwise required by this chapter:

(1) The following diseases, infections and conditions are reportable within 24 hours after being identified by symptoms, appearance or diagnosis:

Animal bite.
Anthrax.
Arboviruses.
Botulism.
Cholera.
Diphtheria.
Enterohemorrhagic E. coli.
Food poisoning outbreak.
Haemophilus influenzae invasive disease.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Hemorrhagic fever.
Lead poisoning.
Legionellosis.
Measles (rubeola).
Meningococcal invasive disease.
Plague.
Poliomyelitis.
Rabies.
Smallpox.
Typhoid fever.

(2) The following diseases, infections and conditions are reportable within 5 work days after being identified by symptoms, appearance or diagnosis:

AIDS.
Amebiasis.
Brucellosis.
CD4 T-lymphocyte test result with a count of less than
200 cells/µL or a CD4 T-lymphocyte percentage of less
than 14% of total lymphocytes (effective October 18,
2002).
Campylobacteriosis.
Cancer.
Chancroid.
Chickenpox (varicella) (effective January 26, 2005).
Chlamydia trachomatis infections.
Congential adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in children under 5 years of age.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.
Cryptosporidiosis.
Encephalitis.
Galactosemia in children under 5 years of age.
Giardiasis.
Gonococcal infections.
Granuloma inguinale.
Guillain-Barre syndrome.
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) (effective October 18, 2002).
Hepatitis, viral, acute and chronic cases.
Histoplasmosis.
Influenza.
Leprosy (Hansen’s disease).
Leptospirosis.
Listeriosis.
Lyme disease.
Lymphogranuloma venereum.
Malaria.
Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) in children under 5
years of age.
Meningitis (All types not caused by invasive Haemophilus
influenza or Neisseria meningitis).
Mumps.
Perinatal exposure of a newborn to HIV (effective
October 18, 2002).
Pertussis (whooping cough).
Phenylketonuria (PKU) in children under 5 years of age.
Primary congenital hypothyroidism in children under 5
years of age.
Psittacosis (ornithosis).
Rickettsial diseases.
Rubella (German measles) and congenital rubella
syndrome.
Salmonellosis.
Shigellosis.
Sickle cell disease in children under 5 years
of age.
Staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycin-resistant (or
intermediate) invasive disease.
Streptococcal invasive disease (group A).
Streptococcus pneumoniae, drug-resistant invasive
disease.
Syphilis (all stages).
Tetanus.
Toxic shock syndrome.
Toxoplasmosis.
Trichinosis.
Tuberculosis, suspected or confirmed active disease
(all sites).
Tularemia.

(c) A school nurse shall report to the LMRO any unusual increase in the number of absentees among school children. A caregiver at a child care group setting shall report to the LMRO any unusual increase in the number of absentees among children attending the child care group setting.

(d) A health care facility or health care practitioner providing screening, diagnostic or therapeutic services to patients with respect to cancer shall also report cases of cancer as specified in § 27.31 (relating to reporting cases of cancer).

The provisions of this § 27.21a adopted January 25, 2002, effective January 26, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 491; amended May 17, 2002, effective May 18, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 2435; amended July 19, 2002, effective July 20, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 3597. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (288385) to (288388).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this 27.21a amended under section 16(a) and (b) of the Disease Control and Prevention Act of 1955 (35 P. S. § 521.16(a) and (b)); sections 2102(g), 2106(a) and 2111(b) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § § 532(g), 536(a) and 541(b)); section 803 of the Health Care Facilities Act (35 P. S. § 448.803); and sections 3 and 5 of the Newborn Child Testing Act (35 P. S. § § 623 and 625).

Cross References

This section cited in 28 Pa. Code § 27.23 (relating to reporting of cases by persons other than health care practitioners, health care facilities, veterinarians or laboratories); and 28 Pa. Code § 211.1 (relating to reportable diseases).