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The Reportable Disease Rule has been updated for 2024. 

For key changes and highlights, please see the Health Advisory Notification

Vermont’s list of reportable diseases and the time frames in which they are required to be reported to the Health Department are specified in Vermont law (Reportable and Communicable Disease Rule). 

The Vermont Department of Health depends on reports of diseases and conditions of public health concern to protect the health of Vermont residents. Timely reporting ensures that cases of communicable disease can be investigated quickly so steps can be taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Organizations and professionals who know or suspect that a person has (or has died of) a disease dangerous to the public’s health are required to report to the Health Department.

Health care providers and laboratories are required by law to notify the Health Department regarding patients with certain suspected or confirmed reportable diseases. Both laboratory confirmed and clinical diagnoses are reportable within 24 hours. Immediate reporting is essential for a limited number of conditions that require prompt public health follow-up (like measles and meningococcal disease), and for diseases that might indicate a bioterrorism incident.

Reportable and Communicable Disease Rule

Who must report?
  • Infection preventionists
  • Health care providers
  • Laboratory directors
  • Nurses
  • Nurse practitioners
  • Physician assistants
  • Physicians
  • School health officials
  • Administrators of long-term care and assisted living facilities
  • Any other health care provider, as defined by 18 V.S.A  9402
  • Veterinarians (for reportable animal diseases)
What diseases must be reported?

To Report:

Call by phone for all immediately reportable findings. 

Phone:  The Infectious Disease Program at 802-863-7240 or 1-800-640-4374 (within Vermont only) from 7:45 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. on business days. An epidemiologist is available 24/7 for diseases that require prompt public health follow-up or consultation. 

Electronic Case Reporting (eCR): Automated case reporting to the Health Department.

Fax: Health Care professionals can fax paper reports to the Epidemiology Program's confidential fax at 802-951-4061.

DiseaseReporting TimelineSpecimens Required to go to VDHL
Anaplasmosiswithin 24 hours 
Animal Biteswithin 24 hours 
AnthraximmediatelyYes, including bacillius cereus, biovar anthracis
Babesiosiswithin 24 hours 
Blastomycosiswithin 24 hours 
Blood lead levelswithin 24 hours 
Borrelia miyamotoi infection (Hard tick replasing fever)within 24 hours 
Botulismimmediately 
BrucellosisimmediatelyYes
Campylobacteriosiswithin 24 hoursYes
Candida auriswithin 24 hoursYes
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), including susceptibility resultswithin 24 hoursYes
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), including susceptibility resultswithin 24 hoursYes
Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), including susceptibility resultswithin 24 hoursYes
Chikungunya virus diseasewithin 24 hours 
Chlamydia trachomatis infectionwithin 24 hours 
Choleraimmediately 
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) postive resultswithin 24 hours 
COVID-19-related pediatric deathswithin 24 hours 
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease/transmissible spongiform encephalopathieswithin 24 hours 
Cryptosporidiosiswithin 24 hoursYes
Cyclosporiasiswithin 24 hours 
Denguewithin 24 hours 
DiphtheriaimmediatelyYes
Eastern equine encephalitis illnesswithin 24 hoursYes
Ehrlichiosiswithin 24 hours 
Encephalitiswithin 24 hours 
GlandersimmediatelyYes
Gonorrheawithin 24 hours 
Haemophilus influenzae disease, invasiveimmediatelyYes
Hantavirus diseasewithin 24 hoursYes
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)within 24 hours 
Hepatitis Aimmediately 
Hepatitis Bwithin 24 hours 
Hepatitis Cwithin 24 hours 
Hepatitis Ewithin 24 hours 
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDSwithin 24 hours 
Infant botulismimmediatelyYes
Individual cases of influenza due to novel strain of Influenza AimmediatelyYes
Pediatric influenza-related deathswithin 24 hours 
Influenza institutional outbreakswithin 24 hours 
Jamestown Canyon virus diseasewithin 24 hours`Yes
La Crosse virus diseasewithin 24 hoursYes
Legionellosiswithin 24 hoursYes
Leptospirosiswithin 24 hoursYes
Listeriosiswithin 24 hoursYes
Lyme diseasewithin 24 hours 
Malariawithin 24 hours`
Measles (Rubeola)immediately 
MelioidosisimmediatelyYes
Meningitis, bacterialimmediately 
Meningococcal diseaseimmediatelyYes
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)immediatelyYes
Mpoxwithin 24 hours 
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)within 24 hours 
Mumpswithin 24 hours 
Pertussis (whooping cough)within 24 hours 
PlagueimmediatelyYes
Poliovirus infection, including poliomyelitisimmediately 
Powassan virus diseasewithin 24 hoursYes
Psittacosiswithin 24 hours 
Q Feverwithin 24 hoursYes
Rabies, animal and human casesimmediately 
Rabies post exposure treatment in humans (irrespective of evidence of rabies)within 24 hours 
Reye syndromewithin 24 hours 
Ricin Toxinwithin 24 hoursYes
Rubella (German Measles)immediately 
Rubella, congenital rubella syndromewithin 24 hours 
Salmonella ParatyphiimmediatelyYes
Salmonella TyphiimmediatelyYes
Salmonellosiswithin 24 hoursYes
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - associatedimmediatelyYes
Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC)within 24 hoursYes
Shigellosiswithin 24 hoursYes
Smallpox (variola)immediately 
Spotted fever rickettsiosiswithin 24 hours 
St. Louis encephalitiswithin 24 hoursYes
Streptococcal disease, Group A, invasivewithin 24 hours 
Streptococcal disease, Group B invasive (infants less than one month of age)within 24 hours 
Streptococcus pneumoniae disease, invasivewithin 24 hours 
Syphiliswithin 24 hours 
Tetanuswithin 24 hours 
Toxic shock syndromewithin 24 hours 
Trichinosiswithin 24 hours 
Tuberculosis infection, latentwithin 24 hours 
Tuberculosis diseaseimmediatelyYes
TularemiaimmediatelyYes
Vaccinia (disease or adverse event)within 24 hours 
Varicella (chicken pox only)within 24 hours 
Vibriosiswithin 24 hoursYes
VRSA, VISA infectionwithin 24 hoursYes
West Nile virus illnesswithin 24 hoursYes
Yellow feverwithin 24 hours 
Yersiniosiswithin 24 hoursYes
Zika virus infectionwithin 24 hours 

* Examples of institutions include long-term care facility, school, child care facility, correctional facility, shelter, camp, hospital, and day care centers.

What laboratory findings must be reported?

To Report:

Laboratory findings should be reported via electronic laboratory reporting. For immediately reportable findings, call the Infectious Disease Program at 802-863-7240 or 1-800-640-4374 (with Vermont only), available 24/7.
DiseaseReporting TimelineSpecimens Required to go to VDHL
Anaplasma phagocytophilumwithin 24 hours 
Babesia microti, Babesia divergens, Babesia duncaniwithin 24 hours 
Bacillus anthracis, bacillius cereus, biovar anthracisimmediatelyYes
Blastomycosiswithin 24 hours 
Blood lead levels (all results, including undetectable)within 24 hours 
Bordetella pertussiswithin 24 hours 
Borrelia burgdorferiwithin 24 hours 
Borrelia mayoniiwithin 24 hours 
Borrelia miyamotoiwithin 24 hours 
Brucella speciesimmediatelyYes
Burkholderia malleiimmediatelyYes
Burkholderia pseudomalleiimmediatelyYes
Campylobacter specieswithin 24 hoursYes
Candida auriswithin 24 hoursYes
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), including susceptibility resultswithin 24 hoursYes
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), including susceptibility resultswithin 24 hoursYes
Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), including susceptibility resultswithin 24 hoursYes
CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts and percentages (all results)within 24 hours 
Chikungunya viruswithin 24 hours 
Chlamydia psittaciwithin 24 hours 
Chlamydia trachomatiswithin 24 hours 
Clostridium botulinumimmediatelyYes
Clostridium tetaniwithin 24 hours 
Corynebacterium diphtheriaeimmediatelyYes
Coxiella burnetiiwithin 24 hours 
Cryptosporidium specieswithin 24 hoursYes
CSF cultures (all positive findings)within 24 hours 
Cyclospora cayetanensiswithin 24 hours 
Dengue viruswithin 24 hours 
Eastern equine encephalitis viruswithin 24 hoursYes
Ehrlichia specieswithin 24 hours 
Francisella tularensisimmediatelyYes
Haemophilus influenzae, isolated from a normally sterile siteimmediatelyYes
Hantaviruswithin 24 hoursYes
Hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV IgM)immediately 
Hepatitis B virus (HBsAg, anti-HBcIgM, HBeAg, HBV DNA)within 24 hours 
Hepatitis C virus (HCV), positive antibody results; non-detectable Hep C nucleic acid results; genotype resultswithin 24 hours 
Hepatitis E virus (IgM anti-HEV)within 24 hours 
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): Includes the following:
HIV viral load measurement (including non-detectable results)
All HIV subtype and HIV nucleotide sequence data from antiretroviral drug resistance testing
within 24 hours 
Influenza - novel A strain onlyimmediatelyYes
Jamestown Canyon viruswithin 24 hoursYes
La Crosse viruswithin 24 hoursYes
Legionella specieswithin 24 hoursYes
Leptospira specieswithin 24 hoursYes
Listeria monocytogeneswithin 24 hoursYes
Measles virusimmediately 
MERS CoVimmediatelyYes
MPXV Clade I and II, non-variola Orthopoxviruswithin 24 hours 
Mumps viruswithin 24 hours 
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (including positive interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) test resultswithin 24 hoursYes
Mycobacterium tuberculosis positive skin test (TST) results within 24 hoursYes
Neisseria gonorrhoeaewithin 24 hours 
Neisseria meningitidis, isolated from a normally sterile siteimmediatelyYes
Plasmodium specieswithin 24 hours 
Polio virusimmediately 
Powassan viruswithin 24 hoursYes
Rabies virusimmediately 
Ricin toxin (from Ricinus communis (castor beans))within 24 hoursYes
Rickettsia specieswithin 24 hours 
Rubella viruswithin 24 hours 
Salmonella ParatyphiimmediatelyYes
Salmonella TyphiimmediatelyYes
Salmonella specieswithin 24 hoursYes
SARS-CoV/SARS - associated virusimmediatelyYes
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) - positive resultswithin 24 hours 
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) related pediatric deathswithin 24 hours 
Shigella specieswithin 24 hoursYes
Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) (including O157:H7)within 24 hoursYes
Smallpox (variola)immediately 
St. Louis encephalitiswithin 24 hoursYes
Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin resistant (VRSA) and vancomycin intermediate (VISA), including susceptibility resultswithin 24 hoursYes
Streptococcus, Group A, isolated from a normally sterile sitewithin 24 hoursYes
Streptococcus, Group B, isolated from a normally sterile site (infants less than one month of age)within 24 hours 
Streptococcus pneumoniae, isolated from a normally sterile site, including susceptibility resultswithin 24 hours 
Treponema pallidum and all confirmatory tests for syphilis that result from an initial positive screening test, regardless of result (positive and negative)within 24 hours 
Trichinella spiraliswithin 24 hours 
Vaccinia viruswithin 24 hours 
Varicella viruswithin 24 hours 
Vibrio cholerae serogroups O1 or O139immediately 
Vibrio specieswithin 24 hoursYes
West Nile viruswithin 24 hoursYes
Yellow fever viruswithin 24 hours 
Yersinia enterocoliticawithin 24 hoursYes
Yersinia pestisimmediatelyYes
Zika viruswithin 24 hours 
What animal diseases must be reported?

To Report:

Contact the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program at 802-863-7240 or 800-640-4374 (within Vermont only) from 7:45 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. on business days. An epidemiologist is available 24/7 for diseases that require prompt public health follow-up.
  • The list below shows reportable animal diseases to the Department of Health. Other diseases may be reportable to the Agency of Agriculture
DiseaseReporting Timeline
Anthraxwithin 24 hours
Arboviral: eastern equine encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, West Nile viruswithin 24 hours
Avian Chlamydiosis (Psittacosis, Ornithosis)within 24 hours
Brucellosis (Brucella species)within 24 hours
Glanders (Burkholderia mallei)within 24 hours
Hantaviruswithin 24 hours
Hendra viruswithin 24 hours
Highly pathogenic avian influenzawithin 24 hours
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complexwithin 24 hours
Nipah viruswithin 24 hours
Non-Variola Orthopoxvirus (mpox)within 24 hours
Plague (Yersinia pestis)within 24 hours
Q Fever (Coxiella burnetti)within 24 hours
Rabieswithin 24 hours
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infectionwithin 24 hours
Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)within 24 hours
Typhus fever (Rickettsia prowazekii)within 24 hours
Cryptosporidiosiswithin 24 hours
How to report diseases and laboratory findings.

Call:  The Infectious Disease Program at 802-863-7240 or 1-800-640-4374 (within Vermont only) from 7:45 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. on business days. An epidemiologist is available 24/7 for diseases that require prompt public health follow-up or consultation.

Report online: Health care professionals can use a secure online report form for conditions that are not immediately notifiable.

Do not use this form for immediately notifiable conditions or Lyme disease. Clinical information for cases of Lyme disease no longer needs to be reported to the Health Department; instead, laboratory evidence of infection is required to be counted in surveillance estimates in Vermont. Please see 2022 Health Advisory for more information.

Electronic Case Reporting (eCR): Automated case reporting to the Health Department.

Fax: Health Care professionals can fax paper reports for not immediately notifiable conditions to the Epidemiology Program's confidential fax at 802-951-4061.

Laboratory Findings: Use electronic laboratory reporting or for immediately reportable findings, call the Infectious Disease Program at 802-863-7240 or 1-800-640-4374 (VT only), available 24/7.

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