Students with a communicable disease will be allowed to attend school provided their presence does not create a substantial risk of illness or transmission to other students or employees. The term "communicable disease" will mean an infectious or contagious disease spread from person to person, or animal to person, or as defined by law.
Prevention and control of communicable diseases is included in the school district's bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan. The procedures will include scope and application, definitions, exposure control, methods of compliance, universal precautions, vaccination, post-exposure evaluation, follow-up, communication of hazards to employees and record keeping. This plan is reviewed annually by the superintendent and school nurse.
The health risk to immunosupressed students is determined by their personal physician. The health risk to others in the school district environment from the presence of a student with a communicable disease is determined on a case-by-case basis by the student's personal physician, a physician chosen by the school district or public health officials.
A student who is at school and who has a communicable disease which creates a substantial risk of harm to other students, employees, or others at school will report the condition to the Superintendent any time the student is aware that the disease actively creates such risk.
It is the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the school nurse, to develop administrative regulations stating the procedures for dealing with students with a communicable disease.
Legal Reference: School Board of Nassau County v. Arline, 480 U.S. 273 (1987).
29 U.S.C. §§ 701 et seq. (1994).
45 C.F.R. Pt. 84.3 (1990).
Iowa Code ch. 139 (2005).
641 I.A.C. 1.2-.5, 7.
Cross Reference:
403.3 Communicable Diseases - Employees
506 Student Records
507 Student Health and Well-Being
Approved: March 12, 2007
Reviewed: March 14, 2022
Revised
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CHART
CONCISE DESCRIPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXCLUSION OF CASES FROM SCHOOL
DISEASE
*Immunization is available
Usual Interval Between Exposure and First Symptoms of Disease
MAIN SYMPTOMS
Minimum Exclusion From School
CHICKENPOX (Varicella)
13 to 17 days
Mild symptoms and fever. Pocks are "blistery." Develop scabs, most on covered parts of body.
7 days from onset of pocks or until pocks become dry
CONJUNCTIVITIS
(PINK EYE)
24 to 72 hours
Tearing, redness and puffy lids, eye discharge.
Until treatment begins or physician approves readmission.
ERYTHEMIA
INFECTIOSUM
(5TH DISEASE)
4 to 20 days
Usual age 5 to 14 years – unusual in adults. Brief prodrome of low-grade fever followed by Erythemia (slapped cheek) appearance on cheeks, lace-like rash on extremities lasting a few days to 3 weeks. Rash seems to recur.
After diagnosis no exclusion from school.
GERMAN MEASLES*
(RUBELLA)
14 to 23 days
Usually mild. Enlarged glands in neck and behind ears. Brief red rash.
7 days from onset of rash. Keep away from pregnant women.
HAEMOPHILUS
MENINGITIS
2 to 4 days
Fever, vomiting, lethargy, stiff neck and back.
Until physician permits return.
HEPATITIS A
Variable – 15 to 50 (average 28 to 30 days)
Abdominal pain, nausea, usually fever. Skin and eyes may or may not turn yellow.
14 days from onset of clinical disease and at least 7 days from onset of jaundice.
IMPETIGO
1 to 3 days
Inflamed sores, with puss.
Cover lesions when attending school.
MEASLES*
10 days to fever, 14 days to rash
Begins with fever, conjunctivitis, runny nose, cough, then blotchy red rash.
4 days from onset of rash.
MENINGOCOCCAL
MENINGITIS
2 to 10 days (commonly 3 to 4 days
Headache, nausea, stiff neck, fever.
Until physician permits return.
MUMPS*
12 to 25 (commonly 18) days
Fever, swelling and tenderness of glands at angle of jaw.
5 days after onset of swollen glands or until swelling disappears.
PEDICULOSIS
(HEAD/BODY LICE)
7 days for eggs to hatch
Lice and nits (eggs) in hair.
No exclusion from school - recommended - 24 hours after adequate treatment to kill lice and nits.
RINGWORM
4 to 10 days
Scaly patch, usually round shaped.
No exclusion from school. Exclude from gymnasium, swimming pools, contact sports.
SCABIES
2 to 6 weeks initial exposure; 1 to 4 days reexposure
Tinny burrows in skin caused by mites.
Until after treatment.
SCARLET FEVER
SCARLATINA
STREP THROAT
1 to 3 days
Sudden onset, vomiting, sore throat, fever, later fine rash (not on face). Rash usually with first infection.
24 hours after antibiotics started and no fever.
WHOOPING COUGH* (PERTUSSIS)
6 to 20 days
Head cold, slight fever, cough, characteristic whoop after 2 weeks.
5 days after start of antibiotic treatment or has coughed for 21 days
Readmission to School – It is advisable that school authorities require written permission from the health officer, school physician or attending physician before any pupil is readmitted to class following any disease which requires exclusion, not mere absence, from school.
While the school district is not responsible for reporting, the following infectious diseases are required to be reported to the state and local public health offices:
Acquired Immune Leprosy Rubella(German
Deficiency Syndrome Leptospirosis measles)
(AIDS) Lyme disease Rubeola (measles)
Amebiasis Malaria Salmonellosis
Anthrax Meningitis Shigellosis
Botulism (bacterial or viral) Tetanus
Brucellosis Mumps Toxic Shock Syndrome
Campylobacteriosis Parvovirus B 19 Trichinosis
Chlamydia trachomatis infection (fifth Tuberculosis
Cholera disease and other Tularemia
Diphtheria complications) Typhoid fever
E. Coli 0157:h7 Pertussis Typhus fever
Encephalitis (whooping cough) Venereal disease
Giardiasis Plague Chancroid
Hepatitis, viral Poliomyelitis Gonorrhea
(A,B, Non A- Psittacosis Granuloma Inguinale
Non-B, Unspecified) Rabies Lymphogranuloma
Histoplasmosis Reye's Syndrome Venereum
Human Immunodeficiency Rheumatic fever Syphilis
Virus (HIV) infection Rocky Mountain Yfever
Source: Iowa Department of Public Health (1997).
REPORT THE FOLLOWING DISEASES IMMEDIATELY BY TELEPHONE (1-800-362-2736)
Botulism
Poliomyelitis
Yellow Fever
Cholera
Rabies (Human)
Disease outbreaks of
Diphtheria
Rubella
any public health concern
Plague
Rubeola (measles)
REPORT ALL OTHER DISEASES BELOW.
WEEK ENDING
See other side for list of reportable infectious diseases.
DISEASE
PATIENT
COUNTY OR CITY
DOB
SEX
Name Parent (If applicable)
Address
Attending Physician
Name Parent (If applicable)
Address
Attending Physician
Name Parent (If applicable)
Address
Attending Physician
Name Parent (If applicable)
Address
Attending Physician
Reporting Physician, Hospital, or Other Authorized Person
Address
Remarks:
FOR SCHOOLS ONLY: Report over 10% absent only. Total enrollment:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
No.
Absent
% of Enrollment
REPORT NUMBER OF CASES ONLY
Chickenpox Gastroenteritis
Erythema infectiosum (5th Disease Influenza-like illness (URI)
Approved: March 12, 2007
Reviewed: March 14, 2022
Revised: