How to report a notifiable disease

Who reports what, and when

Health care providers report notifiable diseases and health events in three classes, by how urgent they are. Most are Class 1: just over three-quarters of all notifiable conditions.

Class 1

Within 24 hours

Immediately on suspicion, to the Medical Officer of Health at the parish health department or to the National Surveillance Unit, on a Class 1 Notification Form. Each case is investigated.

Class 1 diseases and events

Class 2

Every week

On a line listing to the Medical Officer of Health at the parish health department: dengue fever, influenza and hepatitis A. While dengue is under enhanced surveillance, every suspected case is notified as Class 1.

Class 3

Every month

Monthly totals to the Medical Officer of Health at the parish health department; a line listing may also be used. Most are sexually transmitted or food-borne infections.

An outbreak of a disease not normally in Class 1 can be upgraded to Class 1 if it could cause high illness or death rates.

Sentinel sites

The 78 sentinel sites report the syndromes under surveillance every week, whether or not there are cases. Parish health departments send the Weekly Parish Surveillance Report to the National Surveillance Unit by 3 p.m. on Tuesday.