The Regulations for Disease Reporting and Control describe
- What diseases must be reported to the health department
- Who is required to report
- How the report should be submitted
Certain diseases and conditions are reported to local health departments so that steps can be taken to prevent others from becoming ill. These steps might include messaging to raise public awareness, pulling a contaminated item from stores, or offering preventive treatments to people who have been exposed. All of these interventions help us protect the public’s health.
On this page:
- Virginia Reportable Disease List
- Physician and Director of Medical Facility Reporting
- Laboratory Reporting
- Outbreak Reporting
- Out-of-State Disease Reporting
- Condition-Specific Reporting Options
- Unusual Occurrence of Disease of Public Health Concern
- Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance or Threat
- Active Variances
- Additional Resources
Cases of disease have been reported to the Virginia Department of Health since the early part of the 20th century. Since 1919, the Code of Virginia has required the State Board of Health to determine a list of diseases that shall be required to be reported. Additional information about disease reporting in Virginia is below.
Have more questions?
If you have questions not addressed below, please contact your local health department.
Virginia Reportable Disease List
Reporting of the following diseases is required by state law (Sections 32.1-36 and 32.1-37 of the Code of Virginia and 12 VAC 5-90-80 of the Board of Health Regulations for Disease Reporting and Control). Report all conditions when suspected or confirmed to your local health department (LHD). Reports may be submitted by Confidential Morbidity Report Portal (Epi-1 form), computer-generated printout, CDC or VDH surveillance form, or upon agreement with VDH, by means of secure electronic submission.
Physician and Director of Medical Facility Reporting
Reporting Requirements
- Virginia Reportable Disease List
Reporting requirements for physicians and directors of medical facilities
Reporting Options
- Telephone to LHD (only for rapidly reportable conditions)
- Electronic Case Reporting
- Confidential Morbidity Report Portal (Epi-1)
Laboratory Reporting
Reporting Requirements
- Conditions Reportable by Directors of Laboratories
Reporting requirements for laboratory directors with condition/organism-specific supplemental instructions
Reporting Options
- Telephone to LHD (only for rapidly reportable conditions)
- Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR)
- A laboratory’s own form if it includes the required information
- Computer-generated reports containing the required information
Outbreak Reporting
Reporting Requirements
- Certain facilities or programs, such as residential or day programs, services or facilities licensed or operated by any agency of the Commonwealth, schools, child-care centers, and summer camps are required to report the presence or suspected presence of an outbreak to the local health department per 12VAC5-90-90D . Other entities/businesses may voluntarily report outbreaks.
- For additional information, visit VDH webpage about outbreak reporting requirements.
Reporting Options
- Notification to LHD
- Suspected Outbreak Reporting Portal
Out-of-State Disease Reporting
Reporting Requirements
- Virginia requests that out-of-state disease reporters (e.g., laboratories, physicians, state health departments) notify VDH when Virginia residents are diagnosed with or suspected of having a reportable condition.
Reporting Options
- Confidential Morbidity Report Portal (Epi-1)
- Secure Email:
dsifax@vdh.virginia.gov – COVID-19 Only
reportabledisease@vdh.virginia.gov - Mail to:
Office of Epidemiology
Attn: Division of Surveillance and Investigation
P.O. Box 2448, 5th Floor East
Richmond, VA 23218 - Fax to:
(804) 864-8102 - CDC’s Epidemic Information Exchange(Epi-X)
Unusual Occurrence of Disease of Public Health Concern
Immediately report unusual or emerging conditions of public health concern.
Unusual or emerging conditions of public health concern shall be reported to the local health department immediately by the most rapid means available, preferably by telephone.
In addition, the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee may establish surveillance systems for diseases or conditions that are not on the list of reportable diseases. Such surveillance may be established to identify and count cases, identify the mode(s) of transmission and risk factors for the disease, and implement appropriate actions to protect public health.
Conditions that have been identified and are requested
Condition-Specific Reporting
Reporting Options
- COVID-19: test results must be submitted through electronic lab reporting (ELR) or the COVID-19 Point of Care (POC) Testing Result Portal
- HIV, other STIs, and Hepatitis: please refer to the Division of Disease Prevention's Disease Reporting Page for Medical Providers
- Carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs): please refer to the ‘Reporting Requirements’ tab on the CPO webpage
Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance or Public Health Threat
Communicable diseases deemed to be conditions of public health significance or public health threat have special considerations within the Code of Virginia pertaining to public health actions to prevent further disease spread.
Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance
- Human immunodeficiency viruses
- Blood-borne pathogens
- Tubercle bacillus
Communicable Diseases of Public Health Threat
- 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19)