The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has updated its rules regarding mandatory reporting of certain communicable diseases in Ohio, and these updates take effect on Wednesday, October 1.
- Class A – Diseases of major public health concern because of the severity of disease or potential for epidemic spread and must be reported immediately via telephone upon recognition that a case, a suspected case, or a positive laboratory result exists. Examples of Class A disease include, but are not limited to, botulism, measles, and meningococcal disease.
- Class B – Diseases of public health concern needing timely response because of potential for epidemic spread and must be reported by the end of the next business day after the existence of a case, a suspected case, or a positive laboratory result is known. Examples of Class B diseases include, but are not limited to, Candida auris, Lyme disease, and salmonellosis.
- Class C – Report an outbreak, unusual incident, or epidemic of other diseases (e.g. histoplasmosis, pediculosis, scabies, staphylococcal infections) by the end of the next business day. Examples of outbreaks include foodborne, healthcare-associated, and zoonotic.
A summary of the updates for communicable disease reporting are detailed in this Dear Colleague Letter. Additionally, please view Know Your ABCs: A Quick Guide to Reportable Infectious Diseases in Ohio. ODH also offers an Infectious Disease Control Manual, which is designed to be a reference for local health departments, hospitals, physicians, and laboratories in providing information about infectious diseases from a public health perspective, including prevention, control, and reporting of suspected and diagnosed cases.
These updates are found in Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) rules 3701-3-01; 3701-3-02; 3701-3-03; 3701-3-04; 3701-3-07; 3701-3-08; and 3701-3-13. Before finalizing these rule changes, ODH held a stakeholder meeting to review the proposed changes, and also posted them for a public comment period.