507.3 Communicable Diseases - Students

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

507.3E1 Communicable Disease Chart

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.

507.3E2 Reportable Infectious Diseases

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
 
 
 

507.3E3 Reporting Form

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: