Report a disease

Reporting individual cases

Lab reporting requirements

Labs must report diseases and conditions on the reportable communicable diseases and conditions list. The preferred method is via electronic laboratory reporting (ELR). For information on reporting via ELR, contact cdphe_elr@state.co.us. If you are a lab not currently onboarded to ELR you are encouraged to use the Reportal for case reporting.

Lab submission requirements

Specimen submission is in addition to laboratory reporting of required results. Isolate submission to the lab is not reporting and does not satisfy reporting requirements. Here are submission requirements for isolates or clinical material to the CDPHE Laboratory. 

• Specimen submission requirements for clinical microbiology laboratories
  • Submit specimens to the CSPHL via LabOnline
• Colorado lab guidance for selected reportable antimicrobial resistant organisms

Provider requirements for communicable diseases (excluding STIs)

Report to us or your local public health agency. There are several ways to report a case to us:

• Phone: 303-692-2700 ​(after hours 303-370-9395). Calling should be used for conditions listed in the Reportables poster where “Imm, L&P (including clinically suspected cases)” appears. 
• Fax a disease report form: 303-782-0338
  • General communicable disease reporting form
  • Environmental disease reporting form
  • Chickenpox case report form
  • Animal bite reporting form. At this time, faxing this form is the only method available to providers for reporting animal bites. If reporting an animal bite on a holiday or over the weekend, call your local LPHA. 
     
• Reporting influenza-, COVID-19-, and RSV-associated hospitalizations
  • The Reportal is the preferred way to report these hospitalizations.
  • COVID-19 reporting page

Provider requirements for (STIs) 

• Information related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is reported in a variety of ways, including via ELR, the Reportal, email, or fax. See below for additional details. 
  • The preferred method for reporting STI labs is via ELR. If your organization has not onboarded to ELR, eport STI labs via the Reportal.
  • Point-of-care testing should be reported via confidential email or fax.
  • STI treatment information should be reported via the Reportal. If you cannot access the Reportal, you can email or fax treatment information.
  • Email an STI disease report form: cdphe_sti_hiv_vhep_diseasereporting@state.co.us
  • Fax an STI disease report form: 303-782-5393
• STI reporting forms
  • Confidential report of chlamydia and gonorrhea infections (this form can only be sent via email or fax)
  • Confidential reporting form for HIV (this form can only be sent via email or fax)
  • Confidential syphilis case reporting form (this form can be sent via email or fax)
    • Syphilis after-hours guidance
  • Case abstraction form for disseminated gonococcal infections (this form can be sent via email, fax, or the Reportal)

Reporting outbreaks

Outbreaks are instances of more illness in a given timeframe, location, or group of people than what is usually expected. All outbreaks are reportable to public health, regardless of the setting where the outbreak is occurring or the pathogen causing the outbreak. 

Providers and other disease reporters

Providers and other disease reporters (including coroners, as well as staff working at schools, licensed child care centers, and higher education institutions) should report known or suspected outbreaks immediately by telephone (within four hours of detection) to either the local public health agency or to CDPHE at 303-692-2700 (after hours 303-370-9395). It is especially important to report outbreaks occurring in congregate settings such as health care facilities, group living homes, child care centers, correctional settings (e.g., jails, prisons), schools, and workplaces.

• Reporting COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks
• Chickenpox outbreak report form (≥3 cases).
• Reporting influenza outbreaks
• Reporting enteric and other outbreaks

General reporting guidance

• Guidelines for release of disease surveillance data
• Lead test reporting
• Public health reporting and HIPAA

Public health reporting is mandated by law and is not affected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA specifically provides for public health reporting without a patient's authorization or consent.

• Regulations pertaining to communicable diseases and other reportable conditions