6185998 Health, Department of - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking - Update regulations on reportable communicable diseases
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING
The Director of the Department of Health, pursuant to the authority set forth in Section 1 of An Act to authorize the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to make regulations to prevent and control the spread of communicable and preventable diseases ("Act"), approved August 11, 1939 (53 Stat. 1408, ch. 601, § 1; D.C. Official Code § 7-131 (2012 Repl.)), and § 2 of Mayor's Order 98-141, dated August 20, 1998, hereby gives notice of the intent to adopt the following amendments to Chapter 2 (Communicable and Reportable Diseases) of Subtitle B (Public Health and Medicine) of Title 22 (Health) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR), in not less than thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice in the D.C. Register.
The proposed rules adds a new Section 208, entitled “Health Care Associated Infections”; amends Section 200 by repealing the requirement to report tuberculosis cases in a sealed envelope; amends Section 201 to update the list of reportable diseases; amends Section 202 to update the procedures for reporting occurrences of communicable diseases; amends Section 203 to update the procedures for conducting quarantines of animals suspected of carrying rabies; repeals Section 204 that concerned reports and treatment of ringworm of the scalp; and amends Section 299 to update definitions to conform with other amendments.
Chapter 2, COMMUNICABLE AND REPORTABLE DISEASES, of Title 22-B DCMR, PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICINE, is amended as follows:
The title of Section 208, MRSA INFECTION, to read as follows:
208 HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS
Section 200, GENERAL PROVISIONS, § 200.5, is repealed in its entirety.
Section 201, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, is amended to read as follows:
201 COMMUNICABLE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
201.1 The following diseases shall be considered communicable diseases for the purpose of communicable disease surveillance, and shall be reported by telephone to the Director immediately upon provisional diagnosis or the appearance of suspicious symptoms, and confirmed in writing within twenty-four (24) hours:
(a) Animal bites;
(b) Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis);
(c) Botulism;
(d) Cholera (Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae 01 or 0139);
(e) Diphtheria;
(f) Encephalitis, acute arboviral (e.g. Eastern Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis)
(g) Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS);
(h) Hemolytic uremic syndrome;
(i) Hepatitis A;
(j) Influenza-associated mortality (patients less than eighteen (18) years of age);
(k) Influenza A, novel;
(l) Listeriosis;
(m) Measles (Rubeola);
(n) Meningitis (Neisseria meningitidis);
(o) Meningococcal disease, invasive:
(p) Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS);
(q) Mumps:
(r) Pertussis (Whooping cough);
(s) Plague (Yersinia pestis);
(t) Poliovirus infection;
(u) Rabies (animal or human);
(v) Rubella (German measles), including congenital rubella syndrome;
(w) Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS);
(x) Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC);
(y) Smallpox;
(z) Staphylococcal infections in newborns (nosocomial);
(aa) Tularemia;
(bb) Typhoid fever (Salmonella typhi);
(cc) Vibriosis (non-cholera Vibrio species infections);
(dd) Viral hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola or other);
(ee) Yellow fever;
(ff) An outbreak that may be of public health concern (including health care associated and foodborne, as defined in § 299.1); and
(gg) An emerging infectious disease or an unusual occurrence of any disease.
201.2 The following diseases shall be considered communicable diseases for the purpose of communicable disease surveillance and shall be reported to the Director in writing within twenty-four (24) hours after provisional diagnosis or the appearance of suspicious symptoms:
(a) Brucellosis;
(b) Campylobacteriosis;
(c) Chikungunya;
(d) Dengue;
(e) Haemophilus influenza, invasive disease:
(f) Hansen's disease (Leprosy);
(g) Lymphogranuloma venerium (LGV, including atypical LGV);
(h) Meningitis, (aseptic or viral, fungal, and bacterial (other than N. meningitidis));
(i) Psittacosis (Ornithosis);
(j) Q Fever:
(k) School or childcare facility-associated diseases: the following are reportable when there are three (3) or more cases that occur within a seven (7) day period in the school or childcare facility:
(1) Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye);
(2) Gastrointestinal illness;
(3) Hand, foot, and mouth disease;
(4) Head lice;
(5) Impetigo;
(6) Pinworm (Enterobiasis);
(7) Ringworm (Tinea);
(8) Scabies; or
(9) Streptococcal non-invasive, Group A (Scarlet fever and strep throat);
(l) Streptococcal infection, invasive (Pneumococcal disease);
(m) Tetanus; and
(n) Zika virus disease (including congenital Zika virus infection).
201.3 The following diseases shall be considered communicable diseases for the purpose of communicable disease surveillance and shall be reported to the Director in writing within forty-eight (48) hours after diagnosis or the appearance of suspicious symptoms:
(a) Babesiosis;
(b) Chancroid;
(c) Chickenpox (morbidity, pediatric mortality);
(d) Chlamydia tracomatis infection (including PID, perinatal, and trachoma);
(e) Coccidioidomycosis;
(f) Cryptosporidiosis;
(g) Cyclosporiasis;
(h) Ehrlichiosis;
(i) Giardiasis;
(j) Gonococcal infection;
(k) Granuloma inguinale;
(l) Hepatitis (acute B, C);
(m) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and pregnancies in HIV- infected women);
(n) Kawasaki disease;
(o) Legionellosis;
(p) Leptospirosis;
(q) Lyme Disease (Borrelia Burgdorferi);
(r) Malaria;
(s) Meliodosis;
(t) Powassan virus;
(u) Rickettsiosis, spotted fever (e.g. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever);
(v) Salmonellosis;
(w) Shigellosis;
(x) Syphilis (all stages congenital);
(y) Toxic shock syndrome (Staphylococcal, Streptococcal, and other);
(z) Trichinosis (Trichinellosis);
(aa) Tuberculosis;
(bb) Urethritis, atypical;
(cc) Vaccine adverse events; and
(dd) West Nile virus.
Section 202, REPORTING OCCURANCES, is amended as follows:
Amend Subsections 202.1 and 202.2 to read as follows:
202.1 The physician, veterinarian, or other person in charge of a communicable disease case shall report the case to the Director within the period of time required and in the manner prescribed in § 201.
202.2 In the report required in § 202.1, the physician, veterinarian, or other person in charge of the case shall include a statement of the person's instructions concerning isolation, restriction of movement, and quarantine in detail. The statement may be limited to stating that the instructions were in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and with the latest edition of "Control of Communicable Diseases Manual", published by the American Public Health Association.
Amend Subsections 202.8 and 202.9 to read as follows:
202.8 Meeting the requirements of this section and observance of the provisions of the latest edition of "Control of Communicable Diseases Manual", published by the American Public Health Association, shall be prima facie evidence that the control and management of any carrier, contact, or infected person or animal has been in accordance with good medical and public health practice.
202.9 When reporting to the Department, the report shall be filed on a form approved by the Director, and the following information shall be furnished as completely as possible:
(a) Information regarding the person submitting the report, including first and last name, phone number, facility name, facility address, name of the provider who saw the patient, and the date the report was sent;
(b) Patient information, including first and last name, date of birth, gender, home address, race or ethnicity, telephone number, and school or place of occupation;
(c) Disease, condition, or symptom information, including the name of the suspected or confirmed disease, date of symptom onset, date of diagnosis, and supporting laboratory documentation; and
(d) Other epidemiologic information the Director may request.
Subsection 202.11 is repealed in its entirety.
Amend Subsection 202.12 to read as follows:
202.12 Any change in the location of a case shall be reported to the Director by phone or in writing within twenty-four (24) hours of the change.
Section 203, RABIES AND ANIMAL BITES, is amended to read as follows:
203 RABIES AND ANIMAL BITES
203.1 A veterinarian or other person who has reason to suspect any of the following shall report that fact immediately by telephone to the Director, and shall immediately follow the telephone report with a written report to the Director:
(a) A dog or other animal is suffering with rabies;
(b) A dog or other animal has been bitten by or exposed to a dog or other animal suffering with rabies; or
(c) A person with a potential rabies exposure as a result of having been bitten or exposed to a dog or other animal.
203.2 A report of an event described in § 203.1 made to a member of the Metropolitan Police Department, the D.C. Department of Health Animal Services Animal Care and Control Field Services Division, or a privately owned veterinary hospital or clinic, shall be communicated immediately by telephone to the Director and shall immediately be followed with a written report to the Director.
203.3 The report required by § 203.1 shall contain the following information in addition to any information required by § 202.9:
(a) The name, contact information, and the place of residence of the person owning or harboring the dog or other animal;
(b) The place where the dog or other animal can be found; and
(c) The dog license number and rabies license number, if any.
203.4 When the Director has reason to believe that a dog or other animal is rabid, or has been bitten by a suspected rabid animal, or has bitten a person or exposed a person to rabies, the Director shall notify the owner or possessor of the exposed dog or other animal.
203.5 After receiving notification from the Director as required by § 203.4, the owner or possessor of the animal that was bitten by another animal shall quarantine it on his or her premises, or, if the Director deems necessary, at a place the Director designates at the expense of the owner or possessor. The length of quarantine for the animal that was bitten (“bitten animal”) shall be determined based on information available about the animal that initiated the bite (“biting animal”), according to the following criteria:
(a) The location of the biting animal is known and the biting animal is not displaying signs of rabies:
(1) If the biting animal is proven to be up-to-date in its rabies vaccination, then neither the biting animal nor the bitten animal need to be quarantined; or
(2) If the biting animal is not proven to be up-to-date in its rabies vaccination, it shall be quarantined for ten (10) days. The quarantine period for the bitten animal shall be forty-five (45) days when the bitten animal is proven to have received at least one (1) rabies vaccination, or shall be at least four (4) months when the bitten animal has no proof of rabies vaccination but is vaccinated within ninety-six (96) hours of the potential exposure. The quarantine period for the bitten animal may be discontinued at the discretion of the Director if the biting animal does not display signs of rabies virus disease after completing the ten (10) day quarantine period;
(b) The location of the biting animal is known and the biting animal is displaying signs of rabies:
(1) The quarantine period for the bitten animal shall be forty-five (45) days when the bitten animal is proven to be up-to-date in its rabies vaccination, provided it is also vaccinated within ninety-six (96) hours after the exposure. The quarantine period for the bitten animal may be discontinued if the biting animal is proven to not have rabies through a diagnostic laboratory test; or
(2) The quarantine period for the bitten animal shall be four (4) months when the bitten animal has no proof of rabies vaccination, provided the animal is vaccinated within 96 hours of the exposure. If the bitten animal is vaccinated more than 96 hours after exposure, the quarantine shall be extended to six (6) months. The quarantine period for the bitten animal may be discontinued if the biting animal is proven to not have rabies virus disease through a diagnostic laboratory test;
(c) The location of the biting animal is unknown:
(1) The quarantine period for the bitten animal shall be forty-five (45) days when the bitten animal is proven to have received at least one (1) rabies vaccination, provided that the animal is vaccinated for rabies on the first day of the quarantine period; or
(2) The quarantine period for the bitten animal shall be at least four (4) and no more than six (6) months (depending on the nature of the potential exposure as determined by the referring veterinarian and the Department of Health) when the bitten animal has no proof of rabies vaccination, provided that the animal is vaccinated for rabies during the final month of the quarantine period.
203.6 A person who has been bitten by a dog or other domestic animal shall initiate rabies post-exposure prophylaxis based on the vaccination history and disease state of the biting animal and the recommendation of the Director. After receiving notification from the Director under § 203.4, the owner or possessor of the biting animal shall quarantine the animal for ten (10) days, regardless of the rabies vaccination status, on his or her premises, or, if the Director deems necessary, at a place the Director designates at the owner or possessor’s expense. During this period, the biting animal shall not be vaccinated for rabies.
203.7 A health care provider with a patient who presents for a bite or exposure to a potentially rabid animal shall immediately initiate rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. The provider may discontinue treatment only when a rabies test on the biting animal is negative, or the animal is proven adequately vaccinated.
203.8 A person who captures wildlife that has bitten a person or animal, or caused a potential rabies exposure to a person or animal, shall bring the captured animal to the Animal Care and Control Agency for immediate euthanasia. The Animal Care and Control Agency shall submit tissue samples of the animal to the Department of Forensic Sciences for rabies testing.
203.9 A person holding an animal for quarantine under this section shall make the animal available for observation and examination by a licensed veterinarian or an official appointed by the Director, to determine the presence of symptoms of rabies on the first and last days of a quarantine period, at the person’s expense. An animal under quarantine that exhibits clinical signs of rabies during the quarantine period shall be transported to the Animal Care and Control Agency for humane euthanasia. The Animal Care and Control Agency shall submit tissue samples of the animal to the Department of Forensic Sciences for rabies testing.
203.10 A person holding a quarantined animal shall not release, remove from the District, or otherwise dispose of the animal during the quarantine period. If the animal dies during the quarantine period, the person holding the animal shall notify and make the entire animal available to the Animal Care and Control Agency for examination, testing, and ultimate disposal.
Section 204, RINGWORM OF THE SCALP, is repealed in its entirety.
The current Section 208, MRSA INFECTION, is repealed in its entirety, and replaced with the following language:
208 HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS
208.1 Acute care, ambulatory, long-term acute care, skilled nursing, and outpatient renal dialysis facilities shall permit the Director access through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) to data on health care-associated infections (HAIs)). Each of these facilities shall report the following HAIs according to the definitions provided in the most current edition of the NHSN manual (http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/).
(a) Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs);
(b) Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs);
(c) Surgical site infections (SSI):
(1) SSI: Abdominal hysterectomy; and
(2) SSI: Colon surgery;
(d) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA);
(e) Clostridium difficile (C.difficile);
(f) Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriacae (CRE); and
(g) An infection considered of public health concern by the Director.
208.2 All health care facilities shall report a confirmed or suspected HAI outbreak (as defined in § 299.1) to the Director by telephone or in writing within twenty-four (24) hours.
Section 299, DEFINITIONS, § 299.1, is amended as follows:
The following terms and definitions are amended or added in alphabetical order to read as follows:
CDC—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a federal agency responsible for protecting America from threats to health, safety, and security, whether foreign or domestic.
Foodborne disease outbreak—an incident in which two or more persons experience a similar illness resulting from ingestion of a common food.
Health care associated infection (HAI)—an infection that develops in a patient or resident in a healthcare facility that was not present or incubating at the time of admission.
Health care associated infection outbreak (HAI outbreak)—the occurrence of more cases of infections than expected in a given healthcare facility area among a specific group of people over a particular period of time, or when the number of infections in a healthcare facility is higher than the baseline rate for that facility.
Infectious agent—a disease-causing organism (e.g. prion, virus, bacterium, fungus, or parasite).
Invasive—isolated from blood, bone, cerebrospinal fulid, joint, pericardial, peritoneal, or pleural fluid.
National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)—a secure internet-based surveillance system that houses national healthcare-associated infection data and is managed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion.
The term “Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)” and its definition are repealed.
Comments on the proposed rules should be sent in writing to the Department of Health, Office of the General Counsel, 5th Floor, 899 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002, not later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice in the D.C. Register. Copies of the proposed rules may be obtained Monday through Friday, except holidays, between the hours of 8:15 A.M. and 4:45 P.M. at the same address. Questions concerning the rulemaking should be directed to Angli Black, Administrative Assistant, at Angli.Black@dc.gov or (202) 442-5977.
