B.C. expands list of diseases that must be reported to public health authorities

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

The Reporting Information Affecting Public Health Regulation has been amended in two stages. First, a subsection governing reporting requirements was removed. Second, nine additional diseases were added to the mandatory reporting schedule: acute flaccid paralysis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, California serogroup viruses, ehrlichiosis, Powassan virus, respiratory syncytial virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tick-borne relapsing fever. One existing entry was also removed from the schedule. Health-care providers, laboratories, and others required to report notifiable conditions must now report the newly listed diseases to public health authorities, and should review their internal reporting processes and case identification protocols to ensure compliance.

Who this affects: physicians and nurse practitioners · clinical laboratories · hospital infection control teams · public health officers · health authority reporting staff