Every house owner or householder who has reason to believe that any person living, dwelling or being in any building under his control is ill or infected with any disease required by law or the State Sanitary Code to be reported shall, when no physician has professionally attended the ill or infected person, within 12 hours after discovering the same, report the fact in person, by telephone or in writing to the health officer or other officer or employee designated to receive such reports by the local board of health having jurisdiction of the area.
N.J.S. § 26:4-16