Informing Funeral Homes of Communicable Disease

This is a reminder that Board of Health regulation 8.4 requires the notification to funeral homes when a decedent had a communicable disease. Section 8.4 - Handling of Dead Body A dead body kept more than twenty-four hours before burial or cremation shall be embalmed or properly refrigerated. If a deceased person had a communicable disease at the time of death, the hospital or the attending physician shall notify the funeral director or person acting as such, and the funeral director or person acting as such shall consult with the local or state health officer concerning disposition of the body, and shall follow the precautions indicated by the health officer. A dead body shipped by common carrier shall be enclosed in a strong, tightly sealed container which will prevent the leakage of fluids or odor. Board of Health regulations may be viewed directly at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/regulations-adopted-board-health. Section 8.4 is part of the Vital Statistics regulations.