COVID-19 and Disease Reporting

What is reportable?

Please visit the Texas Notifiable Conditions from Texas Health and Human Services list of reportable disease cases. The listed cases are to be reported to Epidemiology via fax or secure email. Please include patient demographics, lab information, past medical history, HPI, and vaccine status if applicable.

Suspect and confirmed cases of COVID-19 are reportable to the local health department.

If you are reporting a positive case you must notify the health department by sending in a  PUI form via fax or secure email. Please include relevant patient demographics, vaccine status, travel history, risk factors, and patient contact information.

You may confidentially report COVID-19 cases by phone or fax at the following:

Public Health Lab Testing

For reportable diseases the following tests are accepted: Antibody, Antigen, or PCR. However, PCR is the preferred method for all reportable diseases (including pertussis). Please note for Haemophilus Influenzae and Streptococcus Pneumoniae the following sterile site collection is required for the case to be reportable

Blood (such as a culture), Bone or bone marrow, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), Pericardial fluid, Peritoneal fluid, Pleural fluid, Internal body sites (brain, heart, liver, spleen, vitreous fluid, kidney, pancreas, lymph node or ovary) when the specimen is collected aseptically during a surgical procedure, and Joint fluid when the joint surface is intact (no abscess or significant break in the skin).

For more information or clarification please contact Summer Mitchell, Epidemiologist, at (325) 437-4620 or summer.mitchell@abilenetx.gov