Simplify and speed up outbreak reporting with newly streamlined NORS and NEARS field aids designed to help investigators complete essential sections quickly and accurately in the field. Developed by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection, in partnership with the New York Food Safety Center of Excellence, these tools reduce unnecessary steps and make reporting more efficient.
NORS Separated Fillable Forms
To make NORS reporting faster and more efficient, the full form has been divided into five transmission‑specific sections—food, person‑to‑person (P2P), indeterminate/unknown (INDUNK), water, animal contact, and environmental contamination unrelated to food or water.
- Core instructions and required content remain the same.
- Forms are streamlined so users only complete relevant sections.
- P2P and INDUNK are combined because they share similar questions.
NEARS Field Aids
To support timely outbreak investigations, key NEARS components have been condensed into easy‑to‑use field aids:
- Manager Interview (Part III) and
- Establishment Observation (Part IV)
These sections must be completed within 24–48 hours of identifying an outbreak at a regulated facility. The field aids allow for quicker, more efficient completion during on‑site investigations.
CDC 52.14 NORS Person to Person/Indeterminate or Unknown
CDC-52.14 NORS Environmental Contamination Other than Food or Water