Notifiable diseases in the armed forces

1. Notifiable diseases in the
Armed Forces
Dr. Anurag Danda

2. Notification Procedure
• Copies of notification form for all ranks (including
families & civilians) to be prepared by MO I/C
case in consultation with MO I/C unit and
submitted to OC hospital-to be distributed,1 copy
to be retained for record.
• If transferred case,a note mentioning station
transferred from to be made in general remarks
column.
• MO I/C unit should preferrably be notified
telephonically as soon as a notifiable disease is
diagnosed.

3. • Only relevant information to be entered on
the notification form regarding source of
infection,preventive measures etc.
• In case the disease attains epidemic
proportions,the no. of cases by units/sub-units
will suffice,individual names may be omitted.
• A detailed special report of the outbreak
should be submitted by the ADMS/SMO/PMO
to the DDMS for onward transmission to the
DGMS.

4. • By telegram/signal to ADMS,reported to
DDMS (and equivalent officers in the case
of IN and IAF) and Director,Health Services
of the state.In additiojn,the notification form
AFMSF-73 will be forwarded to MO I/C
unit and ADMS,with a copy to DDMS (and
equivalent officers in the case of IN and
IAF).The following information will be
given in the telegram/signal:
a. Disease
b. Date of occurrence
c. Rank/Rating and unit/ship of patient
d. Probable source of infection
e. Preventable precautions taken
f. No. of deaths since last report
g. Whether the disease is prevalent in local
civil population,town or district.(The code
laid down in RMSAF will be used.)
Group A
Cholera,Yellow Fever

5. • On the notification form in
quadruplicate;one copy each to MO I/C
unit,ADMS,DDMS and DGMS (and
equivalent officers in case of IN and IAF)
Group B
• Acute poliomyelitis
• Anthrax
• Cerebrospinal fever
• Diphtheria
• Encephalitis
• Enteric group of fevers
• Epidemic influenza
• Outbreak of food
poisoning
• Plague
• Relapsing fever
• Typhus and other
rickettsial diseases

6. • On the notification form in triplicate;one
copy each to MO I/C,ADMS,SMO or
administrative authority in the case of
IN;and in the case of IAF,DGMS(Air) and
PMO concerned (where applicable) DDMS
if made notifiable by DDMS and DGMS
(Navy) for IN personnel
Group C
• Chickenpox
• Dysentery
• Malaria
• Measles
• Mumps
• Pulmonary TB
• Scarlet fever
• Whooping cough

7. Occurrence of following diseases amongst
armed forces personnel should be notified by
CO of service hospital to local civil health
authority concerned:
• Anthrax
• Plague
• Cholera
• Relapsing fever
• Diphtheria
• Fevers of the typhus group
• Typhoid fever
• Influenza (if epidemic only)

8. Alteration in diagnosis
• In the event of an alteration in diagnosis,
those originally notified should be informed
accordingly.
• A new notification form is to be entered if the
new notification form is that of a notifiable
disease.

9. Other Infectious diseases:
• Infectious diseases other than those enumerated above,if
occurring in epidemic form,should be reported in
manuscript to the ADMS/SMO/admin. authority I/C of case.
• The ADMS should keep the DDMS and through him the
DGMS informed of the progress of such epidemics.
• If such diseases are likely to occur in epidemic form in the
civil population in localities adjacent to those occupied by
troops and be considered likely to spread to
troops,manuscript reports should be made to the
ADMS/SMO(IN)/PMO(IAF)/DGMS.

10. • launched with World Bank assistance in November 2004 to detect and
respond to disease outbreaks quickly-extended for 2 years in March 2010
i.e. from April 2010 to March 2012, World Bank funds were available for
Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) at NCDC & 9 identified states
(Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal) and the rest 26 states/UTs
were funded from domestic budget. The Programme continues during 12th
Plan (2012-17) under NHM
• Surveillance units have been established in all states/districts (SSU/DSU).
Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) established and integrated in the National
Centre for Disease Control, Delhi.
• Training of State/District Surveillance Teams and Rapid Response Teams
(RRT) has been completed for all 35 States/UTs.

11. • IT network connecting 776 sites in States/District HQ and premier institutes has been
established with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC) and Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) for data entry, training, video conferencing and outbreak discussion.
• Under the project weekly disease surveillance data on epidemic prone disease are being
collected from reporting units such as sub centres, primary health centres, community health
centres, hospitals including government and private sector hospitals and medical
colleges. The data are being collected on ‘S’ syndromic; ‘P’ probable; & ‘L’ laboratory formats
using standard case definitions.
• Presently, more than 90% districts report such weekly data through e-mail/portal
(www.idsp.nic.in). The weekly data are analyzed by SSU/DSU for disease trends. Whenever
there is rising trend of illnesses, it is investigated by the RRT to diagnose and control the
outbreak.
• States/districts have been asked to notify the outbreaks immediately to the system. On an
average, 30-40 outbreaks are reported every week by the States.