                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

SURVEILLANCE AND INVESTIGATION (§ 32.1-39)

A. The Board shall provide for the surveillance of and investigation into all
preventable diseases and epidemics in this Commonwealth and into the means for
the prevention of such diseases and epidemics. Surveillance and investigation
may include contact tracing in accordance with the regulations of the Board.
When any outbreak or unusual occurrence of a preventable disease shall be
identified through reports required pursuant to Article 1 (&#xA7; 32.1-35 et
seq.) of this chapter, the Commissioner or his designee shall investigate the
disease in cooperation with the local health director or directors in the area
of the disease. If in the judgment of the Commissioner the resources of the
locality are insufficient to provide for adequate investigation, he may assume
direct responsibility and exclusive control of the investigation, applying such
resources as he may have at his disposal. The Board may issue emergency
regulations and orders to accomplish the investigation.

B. When an investigation of any outbreak or occurrence of a disease identified
through reports required pursuant to Article 1 (&#xA7; 32.1-35 et seq.) of this
chapter indicates the reasonable possibility that the outbreak or occurrence was
the result of exposure to an agent or substance used as a weapon, the
Commissioner or his designee shall immediately report such finding to the
Department of State Police for investigation. Reports, records, materials or
other data reported to the Department of State Police pursuant to this section
shall remain confidential and shall not be subject to the provisions of the
Virginia Freedom of Information Act (&#xA7; 2.2-3700 et seq.). The Department of
State Police, and any local law enforcement official, may release all or part of
any report made or other information obtained pursuant to this section (i) where
the release of such report or information may assist in the prevention of
imminent harm to public health or safety, or (ii) where the release of such
report or information, with patient identifying information removed, may be
useful for education of the public on health, safety or homeland defense issues.
Reports required by this section shall be maintained in the central repository
established by the Department of State Police pursuant to the provisions of
&#xA7; 52-8.5. The Department of State Police shall immediately transmit the
report to the local chief of police or sheriff with law-enforcement
responsibilities both where the patient resides and where he sought the medical
treatment that resulted in the report. In addition, the Department of State
Police may transmit the report to federal and military law-enforcement
authorities. The Department of State Police and local law-enforcement
authorities shall immediately determine and implement the appropriate
law-enforcement response to such reports, in accordance with their jurisdiction.

HISTORY: Code 1950, §§ 32-10, 32-42; 1979, c. 711; 1989, c. 613; 2002, c. 768.