Reporting Free-living Amebic Infections (including at least: Acanthamoeba spp., Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia spp., Sappinia spp)

On this page:
What to report
How to report
Submitting clinical materials 
Who is required to report
More about free-living amebic infections
More about infectious disease reporting

What to report

Free-living amebic infection (including at least: Acanthamoeba spp., Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia spp., Sappinia spp) must be reported to MDH immediately 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How to report free-living amebic infections

• Call 651-201-5414 or 877-676-5414 immediately to report free-living amebic infection (including at least: Acanthamoeba spp., Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia spp., Sappinia spp).
  24-7 Phone Reporting
  These diseases must be reported immediately by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
   

Submitting clinical materials

For free-living amebic infections, submission of clinical materials (isolate, if available) to MDH is required by rule.

• Clinical Materials 
  Clinical materials must be submitted according to these guidelines.

Who is required to report

• Health care practitioners (health care facilities, medical laboratories, and in certain circumstances veterinarians and veterinary medical laboratories) are required to report disease to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) under Minnesota state law.
  • Unless previously reported, every licensed health care provider who provides care to any patient who has, is suspected of having, or has died from a reportable disease is required to report.
• Any person in charge of any institution, school, child care facility, or camp is also required to report disease to MDH.
   
• Persons Required to Report Disease
  More information about who is required to report disease.

More about free-living amebic infections

• Naegleria and Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis
  MDH Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis resource page.

More about infectious disease reporting

• Infectious Disease Reporting
  Find out which infectious diseases must be reported by law in Minnesota, who is required to report diseases, how each disease can be reported, and download the appropriate forms.