N.J. Admin. Code § 8:57-1.10

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 8, April 15, 2024

Section 8:57-1.10 - Health officer investigations

(a) A health officer, upon receiving a report of a reportable communicable disease or outbreak, shall investigate the facts contained in the report.

1. The health officer may use the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 18th Edition, which provides guidelines for the characteristics and control of communicable diseases.

i. The Control of Communicable Disease Manual, 18th Edition, edited by David L. Heymann, M.D., is available from the American Public Health Association, 800 I Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001, telephone (202) 777-2742.

(b) A health officer shall follow direction given by the Department regarding the investigation set forth in (a) above.

(c) The health officer performing the investigation set forth in (a) above shall:

1. Determine whether a single case or an outbreak of a reportable communicable disease exists;

2. Ascertain the source and spread of the illness; and

3. Determine and implement appropriate control measures.

(d) Upon determining that a single case of an immediately reportable communicable disease or an outbreak of a reportable communicable disease exists, the health officer shall immediately relay all available information pertaining to the investigation to the Department by telephone to 609-588-7500 between 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. on non-holiday weekdays or to 609-392-2020 during all other days and hours.

1. The health officer shall follow telephone reports of immediately reportable communicable diseases and outbreaks with electronic reporting within 24 hours.

2. Reports of investigations of other reportable communicable diseases shall be submitted via electronic reporting, except that sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis reports shall be submitted in writing.

(e) The Department may require more than one health officer to participate in the investigation, including the health officers who have jurisdiction over:

1. The location of suspected transmission of disease;

2. Areas of residence or occupation of person(s) believed to be ill or infected;

3. Sites where such persons may be located or receiving care; and

4. Other jurisdictions, which the Department determines are appropriate and necessary.

(f) If the Department determines that an outbreak is occurring in more than one jurisdiction, the Department shall coordinate the investigation, in conjunction with the affected health departments, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as needed.

(g) The health officer shall submit a summary report to the Department within 30 days of the completion of each outbreak investigation, and to all physicians who reported cases of illness connected with that outbreak.

1. The report shall include, but not be limited to, a summary of findings, actions taken to control disease, and recommendations to affected parties.

(h) Health officers shall establish quarantine, test and transport procedures for pet birds infected with, or exposed to, avian chlamydiosis in the manner set forth at 8:23-1.4.

(i) The Commissioner shall exercise his or her jurisdiction, responsibility and authority during a public health emergency pursuant to 26:13-3(c).

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:57-1.10

Amended by R.1990 d.243, effective 6/4/1990.
See: 21 N.J.R. 3897(a), 22 N.J.R. 1766(a).
Text on isolation and restriction for communicable diseases recodified to 1.10; text on reporting of diseases by health officers recodified from 1.6 with reporting requirements added at (a) and new (d) and (e) added.
Recodified from N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.9 and amended by R.2003 d. 412, effective 10/20/2003.
See: 34 N.J.R. 3945(a), 35 N.J.R. 4883(b).
Rewrote (c); added (e). Former N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.8, Reporting of diseases by health officers, recodified to N.J.A.C. 8:58-1.7.
Recodified from N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.8 and amended by R.2009 d.107, effective 4/6/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 1962(a), 41 N.J.R. 1419(a).
Rewrote the section. Former N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.10, Medical examination and specimen submission, recodified to N.J.A.C. 8:57-1.12.

The adopted version of this section 56 N.J.R. 213(a), effective 1/3/2024 is not yet available