Reportable Diseases

Certain diseases (such as chickenpox, gastroenteritis, and acute hepatitis) and pathogens (including noroviruses, salmonella, and influenza) must be reported to the public health department. This regulation is based on the Infection Protection Act (IfSG). This law specifies exactly which diseases (Section 6 IfSG) and pathogens (Section 7 IfSG) must be reported. It also specifies who is required to file the report (Section 8 IfSG).

The reporting requirement also applies to communal facilities, such as childcare centers, schools, and residential homes. Legal guardians whose child attends a communal facility must immediately notify the facility of the occurrence of various infectious diseases. The diseases that must be reported in community facilities are specified in Section 34 of the IfSG.

You can find registration forms in the Downloads section of this page.

Mandatory Reporting of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a notifiable infectious disease that must be reported to the public health department by hospitals, doctors' offices, and laboratories.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that can affect any organ. The most common form is pulmonary tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is transmitted through droplet infection upon contact with people who have active pulmonary tuberculosis. The risk of infection is relatively low—lower than for other infectious diseases such as chickenpox or the flu.

In the case of tuberculosis:

• Affected individuals and their family members receive information about infection, the disease, and treatment.
• Patients receive counseling and support from the beginning through the end of their treatment.
• The course of the illness, treatment, and therapy are documented.
• Contacts (e.g., family members, friends, acquaintances, roommates, coworkers) are identified.
• Conducting environmental investigations among close contacts to identify a possible source of infection and detect an infection or illness at an early stage.

The following tests may be necessary:

• Intradermal Tuberculosis Test According to Mendel-Mantoux
• Quantiferon Blood Test
• X-ray of the Lungs

These tests are free of charge for close contacts.

Mendel-Mantoux tuberculin skin tests may be performed for a fee in cases such as adoptions, hiring, and stays abroad.