DHS 145.03(14) (14) “Investigation” means a systematic inquiry designed to identify factors which contribute to the occurrence and spread of communicable diseases.

DHS 145.03(15) (15) “Laboratory” means any facility certified under 42 USC 263a.

DHS 145.03(16) (16) “Local health department” means an agency of local government that takes any of the forms specified in s. 250.01 (4), Stats.

DHS 145.03(17) (17) “Local health officer” has the meaning prescribed in s. 250.01 (5), Stats., and applies to the person who is designated as the local health officer for the place of residence of a case or suspected case of communicable disease.

DHS 145.03(18) (18) “Organized program of infection control” means written and implemented policies and procedures for the purpose of surveillance, investigation, control and prevention of infections in a health care facility.

DHS 145.03(19) (19) “Other disease or condition having the potential to affect the health of other persons” means a disease that can be transmitted from one person to another but that is not listed in Appendix A of this chapter and therefore is not reportable under this chapter, although it is listed in the official report of the American Public Health Association, unless specified otherwise by the state epidemiologist.

DHS 145.03 Note Note: The official report of the American Public Health Association entitled Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 20th edition (2015), edited by David L. Heymann, is on file in the Department’s Division of Public Health and the Legislative Reference Bureau, and is available for purchase from the American Public Health Association, Publications Sales, PO Box 933019, Atlanta, GA 31193-3019.

DHS 145.03(20) (20) “Outbreak” means an unusual aggregation of health events that are grouped together in a short time period and limited geographic area.

DHS 145.03(21) (21) “Personal care” means the service provided by one person to another person who is not a member of his or her immediate household for the purpose of feeding, bathing, dressing, assisting with personal hygiene, changing diapers, changing bedding and other services involving direct physical contact.

DHS 145.03(22) (22) “Physician” means an individual possessing the degree of doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy or an equivalent degree as determined by the medical examining board, and holding a license granted by the board under s. 448.01 (5), Stats.

DHS 145.03(23) (23) “Public building” means any privately or publicly owned building which is open to the public.

DHS 145.03(24) (24) “Public health intervention” means an action designed to promote and protect the health of the public.

DHS 145.03(25) (25) “State epidemiologist” means the person appointed by the state health officer under s. 250.02 (1), Stats., to be the person in charge of communicable disease control for the state who serves also as chief medical officer for the acute and communicable disease program area.

DHS 145.03(26) (26) “Surveillance” means the systematic collection of data pertaining to the occurrence of specific diseases, the analysis and interpretation of these data and the dissemination of consolidated and processed information to those who need to know.

DHS 145.03(27) (27) “Suspected case” means a person thought to have a particular communicable disease on the basis of clinical or laboratory criteria or both.

DHS 145.03 History History: Cr. Register, April, 1984, No. 340, eff. 5-1-84; am. (2) and (11), Register, February, 1989, No. 398, eff. 3-1-89; correction in (8) and (9) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, August, 1995, No. 476; r. and recr. Register, March, 2000, No. 531, eff. 4-1-00; CR 07-090: am. (19) and (20) Register February 2008 No. 626, eff. 3-1-08; correction in (9) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register January 2009 No. 637; CR 17-014: am. (19), Register June 2018 No. 750 eff. 7-1-18; correction in (19) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register June 2018 No. 750.

DHS 145.04 DHS 145.04 Reports of communicable diseases.

DHS 145.04(1) (1) Responsibility for reporting.

DHS 145.04(1)(a) (a) Any person licensed under ch. 441 or 448, Stats., knowing of or in attendance on a case or suspected case shall notify the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, the state epidemiologist, in the manner prescribed in this section.

DHS 145.04(1)(b) (b) Each laboratory shall report the identification or suspected identification of a disease-causing organism or laboratory findings indicating the presence of a communicable disease to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist.

DHS 145.04(1)(bg) (bg) Each laboratory shall forward a specimen to the state laboratory of hygiene, or another laboratory designated by the state epidemiologist, for confirmatory or investigation purposes if requested by the state epidemiologist.

DHS 145.04(1)(br) (br) Each laboratory shall report a negative test result to the local health officer to justify release from isolation or quarantine if requested by the state epidemiologist or the local health officer.

DHS 145.04(1)(c) (c) Each health care facility shall ensure that reports are made to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist, in the manner specified in sub. (3). When a case is identified or suspected in a health care facility having an organized program of infection control, the person in charge of the infection control program shall ensure that the case or suspected case is reported to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist, minimizing unnecessary duplication.

DHS 145.04(1)(cm) (cm) Each health care facility shall report a negative test result to the local health officer to justify release from isolation or quarantine if requested by the state epidemiologist or the local health officer.

DHS 145.04(1)(d) (d) Any teacher, principal or nurse serving a school or day care center knowing of a case or suspected case in the school or center shall notify the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, the state epidemiologist, in the manner prescribed in this section.

DHS 145.04(1)(e) (e) Any person who knows or suspects that a person has a communicable disease shall report the facts to the local health officer or, if required under Appendix A of this chapter, to the state epidemiologist.

DHS 145.04(1)(g) (g) Nothing in this subsection lessens the requirement for confidentiality of HIV test results under s. 252.15, Stats.

DHS 145.04(2) (2) Content of report.

DHS 145.04(2)(a) (a) Each report under sub. (1) (a) to (d) of a case or suspected case of a communicable disease to the local health officer or the state epidemiologist shall include the name and address of the person reporting and of the attending physician, if any, the diagnosed or suspected disease, the name of the ill or affected individual, that individual’s address and telephone number, age or date of birth, race and ethnicity, sex, county of residence, date of onset of the disease, name of parent or guardian if a minor, and other facts the department or local health officer requires for the purposes of surveillance, control and prevention of communicable disease.