32.1-50 - Examination of persons suspected of having active tuberculosis disease; reporting; report forms; report schedule; laboratory reports and required samples.
§ 32.1-50. Examination of persons suspected of having active tuberculosisdisease; reporting; report forms; report schedule; laboratory reports andrequired samples.
A. Any local health director may request any person having or reasonablysuspected of having active tuberculosis disease to be examined immediatelyfor the purpose of ascertaining the presence or absence of the disease. Suchexamination may be made by any licensed physician or licensed nursepractitioner selected by such person at his own expense and approved by thelocal health director or by the local health director at no cost to suchperson.
B. Each physician or nurse practitioner practicing in the Commonwealth whodiagnoses or treats a person for active tuberculosis disease, or a physicianassistant who treats a person for active tuberculosis disease, as defined in§ 32.1-49.1 and each person in charge of a medical care facility providinginpatient or outpatient diagnosis or treatment for active tuberculosisdisease shall report to the local health director within such time period andin such manner as may be prescribed by regulations of the Board. Such report,at a minimum, shall include an initial report when there are reasonablegrounds to believe that a person has active tuberculosis disease, and asubsequent report when a person ceases treatment for tuberculosis disease.Cessation of treatment may be inferred when the person (i) fails to keep ascheduled appointment, (ii) relocates without transferring care, or (iii)discontinues care either upon or against the advice of the treatingphysician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.
C. The initial disease report shall include the following: the affectedperson's name; date of birth; gender; address; pertinent clinical,radiographic, microbiologic, and pathologic reports, whether final orpending; such other information as is needed to locate the patient forfollow-up; and any other information as prescribed by regulations of theBoard.
D. Subsequent reports shall be submitted within such time, at such frequency,and in such manner as may be prescribed by regulations of the Board and shallprovide updated clinical status, bacteriologic and radiographic results,assessment of treatment adherence, name of current care provider, and anyother information as prescribed by the Board.
E. Every director of any laboratory doing business in the Commonwealth shall,according to the manner and schedule as determined by the Board, report anyresult diagnostic of or highly correlated with active tuberculosis disease,whether testing is done in-house or referred to an out-of-state laboratory,including cultures positive for tubercle bacilli and smears suggestive oftubercle bacilli, and shall report the results of tests for antimicrobialsusceptibility performed on cultures positive for tubercle bacilli. Eachdirector of any laboratory shall also submit a representative and viablesample of the initial culture to the Virginia Division of ConsolidatedLaboratory Services or other laboratory designated by the Board to receivesuch specimen in order to (i) ensure testing for antimicrobial susceptibilityon each initial isolate from a person with active tuberculosis disease, and(ii) establish a library of such isolates for the purpose of disease strainanalysis as indicated by epidemiological investigations.
(Code 1950, § 32-85.1; 1956, c. 482; 1979, c. 711; 2001, c. 459; 2004, c.855; 2006, cc. 46, 396, 822.)