Reporting

1. Morbidity reports. Reporting may be conducted by completion of reporting forms, telephonic, electronic, or through other means designated by the state department of health. All morbidity reports must be made as soon as a laboratory test result is positive or a clinical diagnosis is made. 2. Printed forms. Reporting forms will be provided by the state department of health. For those conditions which may require investigation to prevent spread of the condition, forms are available which specify the patient's name and address, age, sex, occupation, probable source of infection, date of exposure, date of onset, and name and address of the person making the report. For those conditions which donot require investigations, forms are available for reporting the conditions by number only. 3. Telephonic reports. Physicians shall notify the state health officer by telephone of any unusual outbreak of food infections and poisonings, and of any case of bubonic plague, rabies, anthrax, botulism, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and such other conditions as the state department of health may from time-to-time designate. 4. Teacher must report suspected cases. Whenever any school principal or teacher in any private, public, or parochial school has reason to suspect that any pupil is suffering from or has been exposed to any communicable condition, such principal or teacher shall send the child home with instructions to see the child's family physician. Any pupil so excluded shall not be permitted to attend school again until the pupil shall present a certificate from a physician licensed to practice medicine in North Dakota or from the local health department stating that the child is not suffering from a communicable condition and that it is safe for the child to return to school. Such principal or teacher shall also report any such suspected case to the local health officer, who, upon receipt of such report, shall use the officer's best judgment as to the necessity for further investigating the case. 5. All medical diagnostic laboratories are required to report any laboratory test result (serological, culture, etc.) which may be interpreted as indicative of any of the reportable conditions to the state department of health. Test results from specimens sent by in-state laboratories to out-of-state laboratories are also required to be reported. 6. In addition to reporting requirements specified under subsection 5, mandatory reporters include: a. All physicians and other health care providers administering screening, diagnostic, or therapeutic services. b. Hospitals, including those providing inpatient or outpatient services, or both. c. Health care facilities, including basic care facilities and mobile units, providing screening, diagnostic, or therapeutic services.