HB36: Lyme disease; added to list of diseases required to be reported to Department of Health.

HOUSE BILL NO. 36
Offered January 13, 2010
Prefiled December 18, 2009
A BILL to amend and reenact § 32.1-35 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the reporting of Lyme disease.
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Patron-- Marshall, R.G.
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Committee Referral Pending
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 32.1-35 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 32.1-35. List and reports of diseases and dangerous microbes and pathogens.

The Board shall promulgate from time to time a list of diseases, including diseases caused by exposure to any toxic substance as defined in § 32.1-239 and including diseases that may be caused by exposure to an agent or substance that has the potential for use as a weapon, that shall be required to be reported. The Board shall also promulgate from time to time a list of dangerous microbes and pathogens that shall be required to be reported by laboratories. The Board may classify such diseases, microbes and pathogens and prescribe the manner and time of such reporting.

The Board shall include Lyme disease on the list of diseases required to be reported. For the purposes of this section, "Lyme disease" means an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans through tick bites.