Other links concerning Notifiable Conditions

• Local Health Jurisdictions

• Report a Notifiable Condition

• Reporting Forms

• Guidelines

• Disease Surveillance Data

• Glossary

• Legal Requirements

• EpiTrends

• Notifiable Conditions & the Health Care Provider (PDF, 645KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Hospital  (PDF, 529KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Laboratory  (PDF, 314KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Local Health Jurisdiction  (PDF, 117KB)

• Notifiable Conditions & the Veterinarian (PDF, 129KB)

• Communicable Disease Epidemiology

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Cause: Bacteria in the genus Vibrio, including V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, non-toxin-producing V. cholerae and other less common species. Infections caused by toxin-producing V. cholerae are notifiable as Cholera.

Illness and treatment: Symptoms include abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, vomiting, headache and fever. Skin infections can occur. V. vulnificus, a species occurring mainly in the Gulf of Mexico, can cause life-threatening septicemia in persons with weakened immune systems. Most persons recover without treatment but antibiotics may be needed for severe cases.

Sources: V. parahaemolyticus occur naturally in Pacific coastal waters, especially during warmer months. Transmission of vibriosis usually occurs through ingesting contaminated raw or undercooked shellfish or through skin injuries exposed to seawater.

Additional risks: Persons with liver disease, alcoholics, and others with weakened immune systems should be warned not to eat raw or undercooked seafood.

Prevention: Keep shellfish cold throughout the transport from harvest to preparation. To lessen risk of illness, consume raw or undercooked shellfish from only approved harvest areas and only during cooler months of the year.

Recent Washington trends: Two large outbreaks occurred in years when environmental conditions favored growth of Vibrio (1997 and 2006). During normal years 20 to 30 cases are reported, with a mixture of locally acquired and travel associated exposures.

2008: 29 cases were reported (0.4 cases/100,000 population) with 26 reporting shellfish ingestion. The age group most affected was persons 60 to 64 years.

Purpose of Reporting and Surveillance

• To identify sources of transmission (e.g., commercially distributed food product or shellfishing area) and to prevent further transmission from such sources.

• When the source is a risk to only a few individuals (e.g., privately collected shellfish), to inform those individuals how to reduce their risk of exposure. 

Legal Reporting Requirements

• Health care providers: notifiable to local health jurisdiction within 3 work days.

• Hospitals: notifiable to local health jurisdiction within 3 work days.

• Laboratories: no requirements for reporting.

• Local health jurisdictions: notifiable to Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Communicable Disease Epidemiology Section (CDES) within 7 days of case investigation completion or summary information required within 21 days.

Last update
November 2009