November 2022

Case surveillance modernization updates

CDC is excited to share several updates on our efforts to enhance case surveillance based on findings from a recent discovery sprint led by a joint team from the United States Digital Service (USDS) and CDC. This effort supports the vision outlined in CDC Moving Forward and CDC’s Data Modernization Initiative (DMI).

New case surveillance modernization webpage

CDC has posted a new “Case Surveillance Modernization” section of the NNDSS website, including:

• a high-level overview of CDC’s current implementation plans for each recommendation,
• frequently asked questions for program and technical audiences, and
• a report with USDS/CDC findings from the case surveillance discovery sprint.

We invite you to bookmark these webpages and check back regularly for the latest updates. CDC will continue to update this website as new information is ready to share.

Case surveillance modernization endorsement

On November 1, 2022, CDC’s IT & Data Governance (ITDG) endorsed modernization of NNDSS case surveillance data flow changes to enable state, territorial, local, and tribal public health jurisdictions to send case data flexibly.

ITDG’s endorsement is an important accomplishment for the implementation team that will help accelerate adoption, promote awareness, and ensure compliance across the agency.

Questions and feedback

We’ll continue to share updates for this effort through our regular communication channels, such as the NNDSS newsletter Case Surveillance News and eSHARE webinars.

If you have technical or implementation-related questions and feedback, please use this jurisdiction feedback form. 

General questions and feedback should be directed to dmi@cdc.gov with the subject line “Case Surveillance Enhancements.”

Thank you for your collaboration as we all undertake this critical work for public health!

CDC to stop accepting two syphilis event codes in 2023

Starting January 1, 2023, CDC will no longer accept event codes 10314 (syphilis, late latent) and 10319 (syphilis, late with clinical manifestations) for new syphilis cases.

Active event codes for syphilis case notifications are aligned with the 2018 Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) case definition and should be used. They include:

• 10311 (primary),
• 10312 (secondary),
• 10313 (early non-primary, non-secondary),
• 10316 (congenital), and
• 10320 (unknown duration or late).

Beginning with cases reported for Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) year 2023, jurisdictions should not use codes 10314 and 10319 to submit data to NNDSS for new syphilis cases. New 2023 cases sent to CDC with event codes 10314 and 10319 will receive an error message and will not be published in the weekly and annual NNDSS data tables on CDC WONDER and data.CDC.gov.

Jurisdictions may continue using event codes 10314 and 10319 to update cases already sent to CDC for previous years.

If you have questions about CDC retiring event codes 10314 and 10319, contact CDC’s STD program at std_surv_inquiry@cdc.gov.

Learn how CDC calculates MMWR weeks and years.

For technical support with the Message Validation, Processing, and Provisioning System, contact edx@cdc.gov.

Actions for jurisdictions: updated case definitions for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea

Chlamydia case definition

In 2021, CSTE approved position statement 21-ID-06 to update the standardized case definitions for chlamydia case reporting and national notification for use beginning in 2022. CDC has implemented the 2022 chlamydia case definition and posted it on the NNDSS website.

Beginning in MMWR week 1 of 2022, jurisdictions should ensure that chlamydia cases meeting the current CSTE case definition are transmitted to CDC with the “confirmed” case classification status.

CDC will publish only confirmed chlamydia cases meeting the updated case definition in the 2022 weekly and annual NNDSS data tables on CDC WONDER and data.CDC.gov. CDC will not publish 2022 chlamydia cases classified as probable, possible, suspect, unknown, or not a case.

Gonorrhea case definition

In 2022, CSTE approved position statement 22-ID-03 to update the standardized case definitions for gonorrhea case reporting and national notification for use beginning in 2023. CDC is working to implement the 2023 gonorrhea case definition and post it on the NNDSS website.

Beginning in MMWR week 1 of 2023, jurisdictions should send new 2023 gonorrhea cases to CDC only if they meet the criteria for “confirmed” or “probable” case.

CDC will publish only confirmed and probable gonorrhea cases meeting the updated case definition in the 2023 weekly and annual NNDSS data tables on CDC WONDER and data.CDC.gov. CDC will not publish 2023 gonorrhea cases classified as possible, suspect, unknown, or not a case.

Learn more

Contact CDC’s STD program at std_surv_inquiry@cdc.gov if you have questions about the case definitions for chlamydia or gonorrhea.

Visit CDC’s searchable library of current and historical case definitions to learn more about case definitions.

Learn how CDC calculates MMWR weeks and years and find an MMWR weeks calendar for 2021–2022.

NNDSS event codes for four new nationally notifiable conditions in 2023

Based on position statements approved by CSTE in 2022, CDC has created event codes for conditions that will become nationally notifiable or come under standardized surveillance in 2023.

Jurisdictions should plan to use the following event codes for these nationally notifiable conditions in 2023:

• 50270: Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms, clinical—CDC is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to receive data on this condition through NNDSS
• 50271: Carbapenemase-Producing Organisms , screening—CDC is seeking OMB approval to receive data on this condition through NNDSS.
• 50264: Candida auris, screening—As of January 1, 2023, the event name “Candida auris, screening” will replace “Candida auris, colonization/screening”; the event code 50264 will remain the same.
• 11585: Melioidosis—This is a new notifiable condition beginning January 1, 2023. NNDSS has OMB approval to receive data for this condition.
• 12036: Strongyloidiasis (current or past)—CDC is seeking OMB approval for NNDSS to receive data on this condition, which CSTE put under standardized surveillance but did not make nationally notifiable.

CDC encourages jurisdictions to begin planning to include these event codes in your surveillance information systems so that you will be ready to send these conditions through NNDSS in 2023.

If you have questions about these event codes, please contact your jurisdiction’s assigned NNDSS surveillance officer listed below.

The November eSHARE, which provided information about NNDSS event code updates for 2023, emergency response case data elements, and implementation updates for CDC case surveillance enhancements, was held November 15, 2022. Visit the eSHARE archives to access the slides and recording for the November webinar.

The next eSHARE webinar, “What Jurisdictions Need to Know for 2023,” will be held January 17, 2023, 3:00—4:00 PM ET. There will not be an eSHARE webinar in December 2022.

To join an eSHARE webinar, please see your calendar invitation or contact the CDC Electronic Data Exchange mailbox at edx@cdc.gov for login information with the subject line “eSHARE invitation.”