The CDC defines an outbreak as “an occurrence of cases of disease that is more than expected, or cases clustered by time, space, or common behaviors.” In the event of an outbreak in your center or program, you have specific responsibilities according to the Washington State Department of Health WAC 246-101.
Some of these responsibilities include:
Notifying outbreaks or suspected outbreaks of a disease to local health jurisdictions in which the patient(s) reside.
Other reporting of outbreaks or suspected outbreaks may also be required to licensing agencies, etc.
The purpose of reporting outbreaks or suspected outbreaks:
Most communicable diseases that warrant reporting are reported to the local health department or jurisdiction. Tuberculosis cases however, are reported to the Washington State Infectious Disease office.
The following links provide very important information about reporting an outbreak: