Connecticut Epidemiologist Newsletter • January 2023 • Volume 43, No 1
Reportable Diseases and Reportable Laboratory Findings Changes for 2023
As required by Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-2a and Section 19a-36-A2 of the Public Health Code, the Reportable Disease Confidential Case Report form PD-23 and the Reportable Laboratory Findings form OL-15C are revised annually by the Department of Public Health (DPH). There are two additions, one removal, and two modifications to the lists effective January 1, 2023.
Reportable disease and laboratory reporting forms can be found on the DPH “Forms” webpage at: https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Communications/Forms/Forms.
Changes to the Lists of Reportable Diseases, Emergency Illnesses and Health Conditions, and the List of Reportable Laboratory Reportable Findings
Mpox disease: A multinational outbreak of mpox disease (formerly known as monkeypox disease) was identified in May 2022. In response, mpox disease has been added as a Category 2 disease. The following have been added to the list of Reportable Laboratory Findings: detection of monkeypox virus or orthopoxvirus nucleic acid in a clinical specimen, detection of orthopoxvirus or non-variola orthopoxvirus by immunohistochemistry in tissue, or detection of anti-orthopoxivrus IgM antibody in serum using a validated assay.
Changes to the Lists of Reportable Diseases Emergency Illnesses and Health Conditions
Neonatal herpes: Neonatal herpes is being removed from the list of Reportable Diseases, Emergency Illnesses and Health Conditions. However, it remains laboratory reportable, and outbreaks of neonatal herpes identified by healthcare providers should still be reported to DPH.
Congenital Syphilis: Congenital syphilis (CS) is resurging nationwide. CS case counts have been increasing in CT since 2015. The addition of CS as a Category 1 disease is intended to increase the volume and timeliness of provider reporting and enhance communications between clinicians and DPH about evaluation and treatment of neonates and CS prevention strategies. A VDRL test of cerebrospinal fluid is recommended for neonates when a diagnosis of CS is being considered. This test result can be reported in the Treponema pallidum VDRL field on the OL-15C or by electronic laboratory reporting.
Changes to the Lists of Reportable Laboratory Findings
Carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA): CRPA is a multi-drug resistant bacteria that has been added to the list of Reportable Laboratory Findings. The addition of CRPA reporting will allow the DPH to characterize the prevalence and epidemiology of CRPA in CT and assist healthcare facilities with containment of the pathogen. Phenotypic CRPA is defined as resistance to imipenem or meropenem. These isolates should be submitted to the DPH Laboratory for further resistance gene testing. Further testing of CRPA isolates allows for tracking of resistance trends, linking of cases to cluster or outbreak events, and furthers our opportunities for targeted control of this challenging pathogen.
Blood lead toxicity reporting levels: The reporting level for blood lead toxicity has been reduced from ≥10 μg/dL to ≥3.5 μg/dL. The change reduces the blood lead level at which intervention will be required by local health departments and aligns with CDC’s updated blood lead level reference value.
This page last updated 01/10/2023.