Mandatory Reporting of Laboratory-Confirmed Positive Norovirus Tests Proposed in England
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The UK Government is proposing the addition of several foodborne and waterborne pathogens to Schedule 2 of the Health Protection Notification Regulations (HPNR). HPNR details the responsibilities of medical practitioners and laboratories in England to report cases of notifiable diseases and positive test results for causative agents.
More specifically, medical practitioners are mandated to report cases of any illness listed as a Schedule 1 infectious disease under HPNR. For Schedule 2 notifiable causative agents—which are any viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or microorganisms responsible for causing a corresponding disease—diagnostic laboratories that test human samples are required to report any positive test results. Making certain causative agents legally notifiable is intended to support surveillance capabilities for infectious diseases, aiding outbreak detection and improving the understanding of outbreak progression and trends.
Based on a review by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the UK Government is proposing the addition of 12 causative agents to Schedule 2 of HPNR, including five food- and waterborne microorganisms:
Additionally, the UK Government proposed amending laboratory reporting requirements so that all diagnostic laboratories in England testing human samples would have to report negative and void test results for all causative agents under Schedule 2, in addition to the existing requirement to report positive results.
The proposed amendments are being made as part of an update to the 2010 version of HPNR. Subject to parliamentary approval, HPNR will be updated on April 6, 2025.
(To learn more about often-overlooked foodborne parasites like Echinococcus, Toxoplasma, and Trichinella, read this Food Safety Magazine exclusive column, “Medically Important Foodborne Parasites: A Consequential Challenge for Food Safety Assurance” by By Larry Keener CFS, PA, here).
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