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South Carolina List of Reportable Conditions

Disease Reporting by Healthcare Providers, Hospitals, Clinics, Other Healthcare Facilities

South Carolina Law (44-29-10) and Regulations (61-20) require reporting of specified contagious and infectious diseases and conditions to the local health department

“in the form and manner as prescribed by DHEC in regulations concerning infectious diseases.  The reports must be made to the Bureau of Disease Control in the manner required in the regulations.  When available, clinical information supporting the diagnoses, including results of specific diagnostic tests, must be included.”

In South Carolina, these diseases and conditions are specified in the List of Reportable Conditions (pdf), published annually.  The list also includes outbreaks of disease or unusual clusters of illness, events such as animal (mammal) bites and pesticide poisoning, and findings suggestive of disease (e.g., hemolytic uremic syndrome).  Diseases do not have to be confirmed to be reported -- actions to prevent further spread of disease may be necessary while confirmatory tests are pending.  (View A-Z list of Reportable Conditions.)

Reporting by Laboratories

The Laboratory List of Reportable Conditions specifies which conditions/findings must be reported to SC DHEC by clinical laboratories. 

HIPAA

Federal HIPAA legislation allows disclosure of protected health information, without consent of the individual, to public health authorities for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease. (HIPAA 45 CFR §164.512)

FERPA

For schools subject to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), FERPA allows reporting of illnesses without specific parent permission if a “health or safety emergency” exists.  SC DHEC and the SC Department of Education have jointly determined that conditions where reports are requested immediately or within 24 hours by phone, including all clusters or outbreaks of illnesses, may be reported to SC DHEC by name, without parental consent.  Disclosure of this information is documented in the student’s/students’ record(s) per local policies for FERPA compliance. 

Conditions where reporting is required within 3 days may be reported to DHEC by name with parental consent.  De-identified reporting is also allowed for these conditions.  School personnel should work with local education agency nursing leadership, or local health department epidemiology staff to review processes for de-identified reporting of illnesses that may spread in schools, especially varicella.

Changes in the 2013 List of Reportable Conditions

Providers with questions about reporting of specific list items should contact their Regional Public Health Epidemiology Office or the Division of Acute Disease Epidemiology.

1. Many conditions now have a shortened reporting time.
   **All conditions that were reportable in 7 days are now reportable in 3 days.**
   All influenza deaths are now reportable in 24 hours, not just flu deaths of children 18 and younger.
2. Alphabetical Order
   Reportable Conditions are now listed in alphabetical order.   
   Arboviral illnesses, are now listed as separate conditions: Eastern Equine Encephalitis, La Crosse Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, and West Nile Virus.  These are not all of the Arboviral conditions.  Providers are encouraged to report any other acute cases of arborviral fever/meningo-encephalitis as “unusual diseases.”
3. Some conditions have been combined to assure appropriate/complete reporting:
   While most conditions are listed alphabetically, the rarely reported viral hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Lassa, Marburg viruses) are clustered together.  
   • All Acute Hepatitis infections (A, B & E) are reportable in 24 hours.
   • All Chronic Hepatitis Infections (B, C & D) are reportable in 3 days.
   • All HIV positive tests (detection and confirmatory results) are reportable.
   • All HIV CD4 results are reportable.
   • All lead tests are reportable, not just tests on children or elevated test results.
4. Timing of Reporting is now indicated by Typeface and Symbols
   Reporting times are indicated by symbols.
   An exclamation point (!) and bold-face font indicate a condition Immediately Reportable by Phone. 
         ! Botulism
   An asterisk (*) indicates a condition Urgently Reportable within 24 hours by phone.
         * Eastern Equine Encephalitis
   All other conditions are reportable within 3 days.
         Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease)
5. Change in reporting criteria for Rabies PEP
    “Rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis (when recommended)” has been changed to “Rabies Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) (when administered).”  Providers should report the date when the first doses of Rabies PEP (generally vaccine and immune globulin) are administered.  Dates of subsequent doses are not required.
6. Change in reporting criteria for Varicella
   All varicella cases will be reportable to SC DHEC within 3 days of diagnosis by a healthcare provider.  This includes identification of varicella by a school nurse.
7. New Conditions
   • Babesiosis, a tickborne infection, is reportable within 3 days of diagnosis.
   • “HIV and AIDS clinical diagnosis” has been “promoted” from the footnotes and added as a separately reportable condition. 
8. Conditions no longer Reportable
   • Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant (CRE) (E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) reporting has been removed.  These data are now reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). 
   • Glanders (Burkholderia mallei) has been removed.  This condition is no longer nationally reportable.
   • Melioidosis (Burkholderia pseudomallei) has been removed.  This condition is no longer nationally reportable.
   • Pesticide poisoning has been removed.  These cases should be promptly managed by Poison Control 1-800-222-1222.
   • Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin resistant, bloodstream infections (MRSA-BSI) reporting has been removed.  These data are now reported to the NHSN.
9. Verbiage Changes
• HIV HLA-B5701 now reads “HLA-B5701 and co-receptor assay (L)” and is only reportable by laboratories.
• “Meningitis, aseptic” has been changed to “Meningo-encephalitis, aseptic.”
• “Rickettsiosis, Spotted fever (e.g., RMSF)” has been changed to “Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Spotted Fever group).”

Reportable Conditions in South Carolina

Footnotes

What to Report

• Patient’s name
• Patient’s complete address, phone, date of birth, race, sex, county, social security number
• Physician’s name and phone number
• Name, institution, and phone number of person reporting
• Disease or condition
• Date of diagnosis
• Symptoms
• Date of onset of symptoms
• Date of report
• Lab results, specimen site, collection date
• If female, pregnancy status
• Status: In child care or a food-handler

How and When to Report

Submit reports by one of the following methods:

1. Conditions Immediately Reportable or Reportable Within 24 hours:
• M-F, 8:30-5 PM: Call the regional public health office.  See list below.
• Nights, weekends, and holidays: Call the regional public health office night / weekend phone / pager number, or the statewide DHEC emergency contact number (1-888-847-0902).
2. Conditions Reportable Within 3 Days:
• Submit an electronic morbidity report via DHEC’s web-based reporting system (CHESS).  To learn more about electronic disease reporting, call 1-800-917-2093, or
• Complete the DHEC 1129 Disease Reporting Card and mail in an envelope marked confidential to the Division of Acute Disease Epidemiology or
• Call the regional public health office.
3. HIV, AIDS, and STDs (excluding Hepatitis):. To report these conditions call 1-800-277-0873; or submit electronically via CHESS, DHEC’s electronic reporting system (call 1-800-917-2093 to learn more about electronic disease reporting); or submit a DHEC 1129 Disease Reporting Card or appropriate CDC Case Report Form in a confidential envelope to:

   Division of Surveillance & Technical Support, Mills/Jarrett Complex
   Box 101106, Columbia, SC  29211

Regional Public Health Offices Contact Information for Disease Reporting