Disease Reporting and Infection Control for Providers

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As a healthcare provider, child care provider, or school, you help prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

Diseases and conditions that are reportable are considered to have significant public health impact and any confirmed or suspect cases must be reported promptly. We provide guidance, education, follow up, and surveillance for state reportable diseases and conditions as outlined in Wisconsin state statute or by the state health department:


What Needs to be Reported

Any Health Care Provider or School is required to report state-reportable diseases and conditions. See this printable list of Category I and Category II diseases and conditions.

Per licensing requirements, licensed child care facilities are also required to report these same communicable diseases and conditions.

Category I diseases

Must be reported immediately to us:

  • By phone at 608-266-4821 AND within 24 hours through the Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS) (preferred) or by fax at 608-266-4858.
  • If calling outside business hours, please leave a message about the Category I disease and include a callback number.
  • For public health emergencies, we have a 24/7 number for health care professionals.
    • Examples of public health emergencies: Cases of meningitis, measles, active/suspected pulmonary TB, hepatitis A (if patient is food handler, daycare provider or attendee, or healthcare provider), and Ebola.
    • Please call 608-267-3913 and tell the operator that you need to talk with after-hours public health staff .

Category II diseases

Must be reported within 72 hours to us:

  • through Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System (WEDSS), OR
  • by phone 608-266-4821, OR
  • by fax 608-266-4858 using one of the disease reporting forms below.

Disease Reporting Forms

Long Term Care & Other Health Care Facilities Outbreak Forms

In Wisconsin, confirmed or suspected outbreaks of any disease in health care facilities, including long term care facilities (LTCFs), are a Category I Disease, meaning they must be reported immediately. For facilities in Dane County, this reporting requirement may be fulfilled by faxing the appropriate form below:

Acute Respiratory Illness Outbreaks

Norovirus and Other Gastrointestinal Illness Outbreaks

Infection Prevention & Control

We work with healthcare providers and infection prevention staff to reduce the risk of communicable disease transmission.

Infection prevention and control involves practices and measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in all healthcare settings and the community. This includes hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, isolation precautions, environmental cleaning and disinfection, respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, waste management and other practices to help reduce the transmission of infectious diseases.

Have questions or need help? Contact us!


Staying Up to Date

  • Sign up for communicable disease updates. Fill in your email address, then select "Communicable Disease Updates" when you see a list of all of our newsletter options. See past issues of our communicable disease newsletter.
  • View our data dashboards for disease trends in Dane County.
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