Florida Administrative Code › 64 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › 64D - Division of Disease Control › Chapter 64D-3 - CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AND CONDITIONS WHICH MAY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT PUBLIC HEALTH › Section 64D-3.041 - Epidemiological Investigations

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) The
				Department and its authorized representatives, when deemed necessary to protect
				the public's health, may conduct epidemiological investigations and follow-up
				to confirm the diagnosis, treatment and causes of any disease or condition to
				determine appropriate methods of outbreak and communicable disease control.
				Such investigations shall be considered official duties of the Department and
				may include, but are not limited to:
(a)
				Review of pertinent, relevant medical records by authorized representatives of
				the Department, if necessary to confirm the diagnosis; to investigate causes;
				to identify other related cases in an area, community, or workplace; to
				determine if a person with a reportable notifiable disease or condition has
				received adequate treatment to render themselves non-infectious or if exposed
				has received prophylaxis, if appropriate. Such review of records may occur
				without patient consent and shall be conducted at reasonable times and with
				such notice as is deemed reasonable under the circumstances.
(b) Perform interviews with an infected
				person or persons knowledgeable about the case to collect pertinent and
				relevant information about the cause(s) of or risk factors for the notifiable
				disease or condition.
(c) Conduct
				notification services by authorized Department representatives to inform
				persons who may have been in such association with an infected person or animal
				or a contaminated environment and who have had opportunity to acquire the
				infection. These will include, but are not limited to: household contacts,
				sexual partners, correctional facilities inmates and employees, patrons,
				employees or owners of business establishments, preschool staff and students,
				school staff and students, and other individuals who may have been in an
				infected person's social, business or environmental network.
(d) Medical examination or testing of persons
				exposed to or at risk of the notifiable disease or condition.
(e) Obtain from public or private businesses
				or institutions the identities and locating information of persons, travelers,
				passengers or transportation crews with a similar or common potential exposure
				to the infectious agent as a reported case (such exposure may be current or
				have occurred in the past).
(f)
				Interview or administer questionnaires confidentially to any resident of a
				community or any agent, owner, operator, employer, employee or client of a
				public or private business or institution, that is either epidemiologically
				associated with an outbreak, or with the reported case or has had similar
				exposure as the reportable case.
(g) Collect environmental samples of
				substances or measurements of physical agents that may be related to the cause
				of an outbreak or notifiable disease or condition.
(h) Enter a place of employment for the
				purpose of conducting epidemiological investigations of those processes,
				conditions, structures, machines, apparatus, devices, equipment, records and
				materials within the place of employment which are relevant, pertinent and
				necessary to the investigation of an outbreak of notifiable diseases or
				conditions during regular working hours or at other reasonable times with such
				notice as is reasonable under the circumstances.