Welcome to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Reportable Diseases web site. Infectious diseases cause illness, suffering and even death, and place an enormous financial burden on society. State public health officials rely on local boards of health, healthcare providers, laboratories and other public health personnel to report the occurrence of notifiable diseases as required by law (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 111, sections 3, 6, 7, 109, 110, 111 and 112 and Chapter 111D, Section 6. These laws are implemented by regulation under Chapter 105, Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR), Section 300.000: Reportable Diseases, Surveillance, and Isolation & Quarantine Requirements.) The Reportable Diseases web site is an on-line resource for local health departments, clinical providers, hospitals, laboratories and others.
Please note: minor corrections were made to the 105 CMR booklet and lists of reportable diseases during July of 2009. The updated booklet and lists of reportable diseases have been posted below, and are identified as the "2 nd Edition" of the booklet and lists. In addition, although the regulations state that healthcare providers should report neonatal herpes simplex infection with "onset within 30 days of birth," MDPH is changing the case definition to request that neonatal herpes simplex infection be reported with an "onset within 42 days of birth." MDPH will formally update the case definition in the next promulgation of 105 CMR 300.000.
Lists of Infectious Diseases Reportable by Law
- List of Diseases Reportable by Healthcare Providers
- List of Diseases Reportable by Laboratories
- List of Diseases Reportable to Local Boards of Health
Regulations and Amendments
- Summary of 105 CMR 300.000: Reportable Diseases, Surveillance, and Isolation and Quarantine Requirements (33-page booklet) (includes disease- specific isolation and quarantine requirements) (PDF)
- Summary of Significant Amendments to 105 CMR 300.000: Reportable Diseases, Surveillance and Isolation and Quarantine Requirements (PDF)
- Memo about the Regulations Directing the use of MAVEN by Local Boards of Health, includes summary of amendments (PDF)
- Letter re approved amendments to 105 CMR 300.000 to enchance HIV/AIDS Surveillance in MA
- Summary of Amendments to 105 CMR 300.00 Reportable Diseases, Surveillance and Isolations and Quarantine Requirements, 2011 (PDF)
Guide to Surveillance, Reporting and Control
- Guide to Surveillance, Reporting and Control: A Massachusetts-specific manual to guide local boards of health through surveillance and control of reportable infectious diseases. Contains basic epidemiological information as well as isolation and quarantine requirements for each reportable disease. (2006)
Documents Pertaining to Privacy and Confidentiality Concerns
- HIPAA Memo for Local Boards of Health (2003) (PDF)
- HIPAA Memo for Health Care Facilities and Laboratories (2003) (PDF)
This information is provided by Epidemiology Program within the Department of Public Health.