• Local Health Jurisdictions

• Notifiable Conditions Reporting Numbers

• Reporting Forms and Guidelines

• Disease Surveillance Data

• Glossary

• Legal Requirements

• EpiTrends

• Notifiable Conditions & the Health Care ProviderPDF, 97KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Health Care Facility(PDF, 104KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Laboratory (PDF, 55KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Local Health Jurisdiction  (PDF, 44KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Veterinarian(PDF, 60KB)

• Communicable Disease Epidemiology

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Anthrax in Washington State

The last documented case of anthrax in Washington occurred in 1957.  In 2001, processed B. anthracis spores put in letters caused an outbreak of 22 anthrax cases in the eastern United States.  In 2009, a woman in Massachusetts developed gastrointestinal anthrax after attending a drumming event using drums with imported animal hides.

Purpose of Reporting and Surveillance

• To rapidly detect anthrax-related illness and promptly treat those who are ill
• To promptly identify the source of infection, including identification of intentional release of anthrax in context of a bioterrorist attack
• To rapidly implement control measures

Legal Reporting Requirements

• Health care providers: immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
• Health care facilities: immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
• Laboratories: Bacillus anthracis immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction; specimen submission required - culture (2 business days). Any other specimens with results indicating B. anthracis infection should be submitted also (see Sections 3 and 4 of the Surveillance and Reporting Guidelines ).
• Veterinarians: suspected human cases notifiable immediately to the local health jurisdiction; animal cases notifiable to Washington State Department of Agriculture (see: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=16-70).
• Local health jurisdictions: immediately notifiable to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Communicable Disease Epidemiology (CDE).

Last update
February 2011