Bugg
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8095
posted
Here's what I learned after calling the Centers for Disease Control, my State Department of Health, and a couple of laboratories, and reviewing my state's statutes:
How do lyme cases get reported?:
In most states, by statute, laboratories that receive a positive test for lyme disease MUST BY LAW report that positive test to the State Health Department in which that patient resides. For example, Bob lives in TN and is bitten by a tick in TN. Bob sees his local physician who draws his blood. Bob's blood is sent for laboratory testing to a lab in Tennessee and for a second test to IGENEX lab in California. Since TN requires laboratories to report positive cases, both the IGENEX lab in California and the TN lab would have to report their positive findings to the TN Dept of Health.
Most states' statutes require mandatory reporting of a positive lyme disease test from a laboratory BUT DO NOT STATUTORILY REQUIRE a provider to report a positive lyme test to the State Dept of Health. Again, though, it depends on the particular statutory requirements in your state.
Is my state required by law to report my positive case to the CDC?
Absolutely Not. U.S. state and territorial health departments report cases of Lyme disease VOLUNTARITLY to CDC as part of the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS). Provisional data are transmitted to CDC weekly using the National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance, and final data are published annually in CDC's Summary of Notifiable Diseases (available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr).
Who determines how my case will be categorized (ie as "confirmed" or "probable") when reported to the CDC?
State or local health departments make that determination. They review the CDC's case definitions in making that determination. Additionally, it is up to the State Dept of Health to determine how to categorize/report a particular case when the patient is bitten OUTSIDE OF THAT STATE. The State may or may not include it in its report, may categorize it as confirmed, or may categorize it as probable. Again, it's up to the State Department of Health.
Will my State accept a positive on the ELISA or the Western Blot as substantiation of a positive case?
Most states will go by the CDC's surveillance criteria regarding testing.
I hope this information helps someone on this board. Take Care.
Posts: 1155 | From Southeast | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Thank you very much for sharing this. I am so amazed at how lax health departments are at collecting information about LD diagnoses.
It makes me incredibly sad. Think of how many cases are not used in reports and how many people are yet to be diagnosed.
Posts: 50 | From Midwest | Registered: Nov 2009
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