Updated Communicable Disease Reportable Conditions List – Effective June 14, 2019

To: Healthcare providers, facility administrators, and infection control staff at licensed healthcare facilities

From: Disease Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. 

The Colorado Board of Health updates the Communicable Disease regulations (6 CCR 1009-1) and Environmental Health regulations (6 CCR 1009-1) periodically to reflect changes in public health priorities for disease surveillance. Reportable conditions may be added, removed or modified. The communicable disease regulations have been revised this year and additions and modifications became effective on June 14, 2019.

Major changes include:
- Addition of all Gram-negative bacteria resistant to colistin (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] of greater than or equal to 4 microgram per milliliter) statewide. 
- Addition of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-associated hospitalizations in the 5-county Denver metropolitan area (Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties). 
- Addition of Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in the 5-county Denver metropolitan area. 
- Reporting for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) was modified to include negative (nonreactive confirmatory assays) by laboratories. 
- Positive interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) now reportable by laboratories that use electronic reporting (ELR).
- Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has been expanded to statewide for all specimen sites and the reporting time frame is now 4 days. 
- Requirements for vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) were clarified to include vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA).

Important reminder:
- Influenza-associated hospitalizations and pediatric influenza deaths should be reported year round. While CDPHE performs additional surveillance activities during October - May each year, individual cases of illness should be reported whenever they are detected and are in fact key to detecting unusual patterns in influenza illness.

A complete and updated list of reportable conditions with information on how to report can be accessed here: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/report-a-disease. 

The following updated documents may also be found at the above link:
- Specimen submission requirements for clinical laboratories 
- Laboratory guidance for selected reportable antimicrobial resistant organisms 
- FAQs for the Infection Preventionists for ELR

For further information:

For concerns or questions about disease reporting, please contact the CDPHE Integrated Disease Reporting Program (IDRP) staff at 303-692-2700 or email cdphe_idrp@state.co.us.