Students with communicable diseases 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” means an infectious or contagious disease spread from person-to-person, animal-to-person, or as defined by law.
Prevention and control of communicable diseases will be included in the 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 recordkeeping. The plan will be reviewed annually by the school nurses and superintendent [or designee].
The health risk to immunosuppressed students will be determined by their personal physicians. The health risk to others in the school district environment from the presence of students with communicable diseases will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the student’s personal physician, a physician chosen by the school district, or public health officials.
The parent/guardian will notify the superintendent [or designee] or school nurse when the student learns they have a communicable disease. It is the responsibility of the superintendent [or designee] when upon investigation the superintendent [or designee] or school nurse has knowledge that a reportable, communicable disease is present to notify the Iowa Department of Health & Human Services via the Linn County Health Department. Student health data is confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties.
It is the responsibility of the superintendent [or designee] in conjunction with the school nurses to develop administrative regulations stating the procedures for dealing with students with communicable diseases.
Adopted: 6/88
Reviewed: 4/11; 4/12; 7/13; 10/14; 11/17; 12/20; 10/23
Revised: 7/07; 11/07
Related Policy: 504.2-R; 504.2-E1-E4
Legal Reference (Code of Iowa): 139A.8; 641 IAC 1.2-5, 7
IASB Reference: 507.03
EXCLUSION OF STUDENTS
A student 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. If, in the judgment of the building administrator [or designee], there is any risk of the student transmitting the disease to others the building administrator [or designee] will immediately exclude the student from school and may require the student be examined by a physician. The building administrator [or designee] may also require a written statement of health from a physician in order for the affected student to return to school.
ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM
If it is determined that the student will not be permitted to attend classes and/or participate in school activities, arrangements will be made to provide an alternative education program.
RETURN TO SCHOOL
Criteria will be established to determine whether a student with a communicable, contagious, and/or infectious disease including common childhood diseases will be permitted to attend classes. All cases will be reviewed on an individual basis.
CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION
Records of a student who has a communicable, contagious, and/or infectious disease other than a common childhood disease will be kept confidential and the name of the individual will not be revealed publicly.
APPEAL PROCESS
The student and/or parent/guardian may appeal decisions regarding exclusion from school. This appeal is to be submitted in writing to the superintendent [or designee]. The superintendent [or designee] will respond to the appeal within three school days. If the appeal is denied by the superintendent [or designee] the student and/or parent/guardian may continue the appeal with the Linn-Mar Board of Directors at their next regularly scheduled meeting.
Adopted: 6/88
Reviewed: 4/11; 4/12; 7/13; 10/14; 11/17; 12/20; 10/23
Revised: 9/02
Related Policy: 504.02; 504.02-E1-E4
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE COMMUNICABLE DISEASES CHART
Concise descriptions and recommendations for exclusion of cases from school.
Source: Iowa Department of Health & Human Services
|
Disease |
Usual Interval Between Exposure and First Symptoms |
Main Symptoms |
Minimum Exclusion from School |
| *Chickenpox |
10-21 Days |
Mild symptoms and fever, pocks are blistery, and scabs develop for most on covered parts of the body |
Seven days from onset of rash until all blisters have crusted |
| Conjunctivitis [Pink Eye] |
24-72 Hours | Tearing, redness, puffy lids, and discharge | Until treatment begins or physician approves return |
| COVID-19 {SARS-CoV-2} |
2-14 Days | Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea | Five days after symptoms start and 24 hours with no fever and improved symptoms |
| Erythema Infectiosum [5th Disease] |
4-20 Days | Usual age is 5-14 years, unusual in adults, brief prodrome or low grade fever followed by erythema (slapped appearance on cheeks), lace-like rash on extremities lasting a few days to three weeks, and rash seems to recur | After diagnosis; no exclusion from school |
| *German Measles [Rubella] |
14-21 Days | Usually mild, enlarged glands in neck and behind ears, and brief rash | Seven days from onset of rash; keep away from pregnant women |
| *Haemophilus Meningitis | 2-4 Days | Fever, vomiting, lethargy, and stiff neck and back |
Until physician approves return |
| *Hepatitis A |
Varies from 15-50 Days |
Abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and skin/eyes may or may not turn yellow | Fourteen days from onset of clinical disease and at least seven days from onset of jaundice |
| Impetigo | 4-10 Days | Inflamed sores with pus | Twenty-four hours after antibiotic therapy has started or until physician approves return; avoid contact with drainage from lesions and cover lesions when attending school |
| *Measles | 10 Days to Fever 14 Days to Rash |
Begins with fever, conjunctivitis, runny nose, cough, and then blotchy red rash | Four days from onset of rash |
| Meningococcal Meningitis |
2-10 Days |
Headache, nausea, stiff neck, and fever |
Until physician approves return |
| *Mumps |
12-25 Days |
Fever, swelling, and tenderness of glands at angle of jaw |
Five days after onset or until symptoms have resolved |
|
Pediculosis |
7 Days for Eggs to Hatch | Lice and nits (eggs) in hair | No need to send home upon diagnosis and return to school after initial treatment; no-nit policy is recommended |
| Ringworm | 4-10 Days | Scaly red patch; usually ring shaped |
No exclusion from school; exclude from gymnasiums, pools, and contact sports |
| Scabies |
2-6 Weeks for Initial Exposure |
Tiny burrows in skin caused by mites | Until 24 hours after treatment |
| Scarlet Fever Scarlantina Strep Throat |
1-3 Days | Sudden onset, vomiting, fever, later a fine rash (not on face), and rash usually only with first infections | Twenty-four hours after antibiotics started and no fever |
|
*Whooping Cough [Pertussis] |
6-20 Days |
Head cold, slight fever, cough, and characteristic whoop after two weeks |
Five days after start of |
READMISSION TO SCHOOL
It is advisable that school authorities require written permission from the health officer, school physician, or attending physician before any student is readmitted to school following any disease which requires exclusion, not mere absence, from school.
Reviewed: 7/13; 11/17; 12/20
Revised: 4/11; 10/14; 4/18; 8/21; 10/23
ACTION STEPS
Adopted: 11/07
Reviewed: 4/11; 4/12; 7/13; 10/14; 11/17; 12/20; 10/23
Revised: 9/09
Related Policy: 504.02; 504.02-R; 504.02-E(1); 504.02-E(3)-E(4)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE DISEASES REPORTABLE TO IOWA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Disease Reporting Hotline (1-800-362-2736)
Report information requested on disease reporting form which may be obtained by calling 1-888-398-9696.
EMERGECY REPORTABLE DISEASES OR CONDITIONS: REPORT BY PHONE IMMEDIATELY!
| Botulism | # Measles | Rabies (Human) |
| Cholera | > Meningococcal Invasive Disease | Vancomycin-Resistant Staph Aereus |
| Diphtheria | Plaque | Yellow Fever |
| > Haemophilus Influenza Type B Invasive Disease | # Polio |
Also, outbreaks of any kind, unusual syndromes, and uncommon diseases should be reported immediately by phone. These could be infectious, environmental, or occupational in origin and include food-borne outbreaks and illness secondary to chemical exposure (e.g. pesticides, anhydrous ammonia).
AGENTS OF TERRORISM
Diseases or syndromes of any kind caused by a biological, chemical, or radiological agent or toxin when the provider reasonably believes or suspects that the agent or toxin may be the result of a deliberate act such as terrorism. Examples of these agents or toxins include but are not limited to anthrax, mustard gas, sarin gas, ricin, tularemia, and smallpox.
DISEASES REPORTABLE BY MAIL OR PHONE
| Common-Reportable Diseases | Rare-Reportable Diseases |
| Campylobacteriosis | Anthrax |
| Cryptosporidiosis | # Brucellosis |
| COVID-19 [SARS-CoV-2] | Cyclospora |
| > Encephalitis, Arboviral | # Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) |
| # Escherichia Coli O157:H7 (And Related Diseases HUS & TTP) | Hantavirus Syndromes |
| Giardiasis | Listeria Monocytogenes Invasive Disease |
| # Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E | # Malaria |
| > Legionellosis | Mumps |
| # Lyme Disease | Psittacosis |
| # Pertussis | # Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever |
| Rabies (Animal) | # Rubella (Including Congenital) |
| # Salmonellosis (Including Typhoid Fever) | # Tetanus |
| # Shigellosis | > Toxic Shock Syndrome |
| # Tuberculosis | # Trichinosis |
DISEASES REPORTABLE ONLY BY SENDING ISOLATES TO STATE HYGIENIC LAB (319) 335-4500
| Enterococcus Invasive Disease | Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aereus Invasive Disease |
| Group A Streptococcus Invasive Disease | Streptococcus Pneumonia Invasive Disease |
# Diseases that require follow-up by local health agency
> Diseases that require follow up by hospital infection control practitioner
Isolates in bold type should be sent to State Hygienic Laboratory
Report on a quarterly basis to UHL: Total number of Invasive Staphylococcus Aereus isolates
Adopted: 9/98
Reviewed: 4/11; 4/12; 7/13; 10/14; 11/17; 12/20; 10/23
Revised: 11/07; 8/21
Related Policy : 504.02; 504.02-R; 504.-02-E(1)-E(2); 504.02-E(4)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE DISEASE REPORTING CARD
Disease reporting is required by Iowa Administrative Code [641]-1 (139A).
To report call (800) 362-2736 or fax (515) 281-5698 or Iowa Disease Surveillance Systems (IDSS).
DISEASE AND REPORTING INFORMATION
| Disease/Event: | Species/Type/Group: |
| Specimen Source: | Date Collected: |
| Onset Date: | Date Reported to IDPH: |
| Epi Link? Yes No Unknown | Isolate to UHL? Yes No Unknown |
| Reporter's Name: | Phone: |
| Reporting Facility's Name: | |
PATIENT INFORMATION
| Name (Last, First, Middle): | Date of Birth: |
| Address: | Age: |
| City/State/Zip/County: | Gender: M F Unknown |
| Marital Status: Single Married Divorced Widowed Unknown | Pregnant: Yes No Unknown |
| Race: White Black/African American American Indian/Alaska Native Asian Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Other Unknown | |
| Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino Not Hispanic/Latino Unknown | |
| If minor, parent/guardian name(s): | Home Phone: |
| Work Phone: | Other Phone: |
| Long-Term Care Facility Resident: Yes No Unknown | Facility Name: |
| Is the Case Employed: Yes No Unknown | Employer Name: |
| City: | State: |
| In this case does the case: Handle Food Work in a healthcare setting Work in a lab setting | |
| Is the case enrolled in school or attending a childcare facility: Yes No Unknown | |
| School/Childcare Name: | City: State: |
| Hospitalized for this disease: Yes No | Where: |
| Admission Date: | Was death due to this disease: Yes No |
HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND LABORATORY INFORMATION
| Name and Title of Healthcare Provider: | Name of Laboratory: |
| Facility or Clinic: | Laboratory Phone: |
| City and State: | City and State: |
| Phone: | Does the case have clinical symptoms: Yes No Is the case lab confirmed: Yes No |
| Comments: | |
Adopted: 9/98
Reviewed 7/13; 10/14; 11/17; 12/20; 10/23
Revised: 11/07
Related Policy: 504.02; 504.02-R; 504.02-E(1)-E(3)