Notifiable diseases

In Germany there is an obligation to report certain infectious diseases and pathogens, based on the Federal Law on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases in Humans (IfSG). For particular symptoms, doctors, laboratories or health care facility bodies have to report suspicions, disease or death. Among others, nosocomial infections with MRSA and noroviruses belong to the notifiable diseases. According to § 6 IfSG all infectious diseases have to be reported, which

are particularly dangerous (compared with the severeness of the course of disease, the mortality rate and the acute risk of spread),
require immediate reaction of public health authorities or
are classified as indicator for lack of hygiene.

The Federal Law on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases in Humans (IfSG) distinguishes nominal and non-nominal reports. Nominal reports (IfSG §6 and § 7 passage 1) are sent to the responsible public health department. The respective Federal State authorities provide the required report forms.

According to IfSG § 6 passage 1 No. 3 suspicions of health impairments that exceed the normal degree of a vaccination reaction have to be reported. The required form is available at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute.
Evidences of pathogens, mentioned in IfSG § 7 passage 3, however, have to be reported to the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) non-nominally.
According to IfSG § 12, the public health department has to immediately transmit the occurrence of very important diseases (e.g. virus-attributable hemorrhagic fever) and evidences of influenza viruses to the RKI via the supreme Federal State health authorities.

These forms are also available at the RKI.
Besides the obligation to report, the IfSG (§§ 16 and 17) defines the responsibilities for the measures for averting the dangers when communicable diseases occur: “The measures are ordered by the responsible authority following the public health department’s recommendation.” IfSG § 18 prescribes how and with which means officially ordered decontaminations (disinfection) and vermin destructions (control of invertebrates) as well as measures for controlling vertebrates that spread pathogens should be carried out (Liste der vom Robert Koch-Institut geprüften und anerkannten Desinfektionsmittel und -verfahren). If a notifiable disease occurs or if there is an evidence for notifiable pathogens but no officially ordered decontamination has been ordered immediately, the RKI websites contain comprehensive information (in German language), e.g. factsheets on notifiable diseases. The recommendations are considered as current state-of-science, are consulted for legal evaluation in case of doubt or law cases and should be followed by medical facilities unconditionally.

Further information:

Only available in German

Antworten vom RKI zu häufig gestellten Fragen zur Meldepflicht bzw. zum Meldeweg

Vom Robert Koch-Institut zur Verfügung gestellte Meldebögen

Infektionsschutzgesetz