64D-3.041. Epidemiological Investigations

(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.

(2) Information gathered in the course of an epidemiological investigation and follow-up shall be confidential to the degree permitted under the provisions of Sections 119.0712, 381.0031(6), 384.29, and 392.65, F.S.

Rulemaking Authority 381.0011, 381.003(2), 381.0031(7), (8), 384.25(2), 384.29, 384.33, 392.66 FS. Law Implemented 381.0011, 381.003(1), 384.26, 392.54 FS. History–New 11-20-06, Amended 11-24-08.