Communicable Disease Policies
Communicable Disease Policies -
A student who has symptoms of an infectious or contagious disease (such as vomiting, diarrhea, temperature of 100 or greater, or rash of undetermined origin) shall be temporarily removed from school until the danger of transmitting the infection/disease has passed.
The student should be fever-free for 24 hours prior to returning to school. Students with a rash may return to school with a written statement from the physician indicating that the student’s diagnosis is not contagious. Students may return without a physician statement if the condition resolves.
The following is a list of the most common communicable diseases and the requirements set by the Texas Department of State Health Services for re-admission to school:
(1) Amebiasis--exclude until treatment is initiated;
(2) Campylobacteriosis--exclude until after diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(3) Chickenpox--exclude until the lesions become dry or if lesions are not vesicular, until 24 hours have passed with no new lesions occurring;
(4) Common cold--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(5) Conjunctivitis, bacterial and/or viral--exclude until permission and/or permit is issued by a physician or local health authority or until symptom free;
(6) Fever--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without use of fever suppressing medications;
(7) Fifth disease (erythema infectiosum)--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(8) Gastroenteritis--exclude until diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications;
(9) Giardiasis--exclude until diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications;
(10) Hepatitis A--exclude until one week after onset of illness;
(11) Infections (wounds, skin, and soft tissue)--exclude until drainage from wounds or skin and soft tissue infections is contained and maintained in a clean dry bandage; restrict from situations that could result in the infected area becoming exposed, wet, soiled, or otherwise compromised;
(12) Infectious mononucleosis--exclude until physician decides or fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(13) Influenza--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(14) Measles (rubeola)--exclude until four days after rash onset or in the case of an outbreak, unimmunized children should also be excluded until at least two weeks after the onset of the last rash;
(15) Meningitis, bacterial--exclude until written permission and/or permit is issued by a physician or local health authority;
(16) Meningitis, viral--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(17) Mumps--exclude until five days after the onset of swelling;
(18) Pertussis (whooping cough)--exclude until completion of five days of antibiotic therapy;
(19) Ringworm--none, if infected area can be completely covered by clothing or a bandage, otherwise exclude until treatment has begun;
(20) Rubella (German measles)--exclude until seven days after rash onset or in the case of an outbreak, unimmunized children should be excluded until at least three weeks after the onset of the last rash;
(21) Salmonellosis--exclude until diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(22) Scabies--According to the Centers for Disease Control, skin to skin contact should be avoided for 8 hours after treatment for scabies. For this reason, all students diagnosed with scabies will be excluded from school for 7 hours after treatment is completed;
(23) Shigellosis--exclude until diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(24) Streptococcal sore throat and scarlet fever--exclude until 24 hours from time antibiotic treatment was begun and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications; and
(25) Tuberculosis, pulmonary--exclude until antibiotic treatment has begun and a physician's certificate or health permit obtained.
A student who has symptoms of an infectious or contagious disease (such as vomiting, diarrhea, temperature of 100 or greater, or rash of undetermined origin) shall be temporarily removed from school until the danger of transmitting the infection/disease has passed.
The student should be fever-free for 24 hours prior to returning to school. Students with a rash may return to school with a written statement from the physician indicating that the student’s diagnosis is not contagious. Students may return without a physician statement if the condition resolves.
The following is a list of the most common communicable diseases and the requirements set by the Texas Department of State Health Services for re-admission to school:
(1) Amebiasis--exclude until treatment is initiated;
(2) Campylobacteriosis--exclude until after diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(3) Chickenpox--exclude until the lesions become dry or if lesions are not vesicular, until 24 hours have passed with no new lesions occurring;
(4) Common cold--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(5) Conjunctivitis, bacterial and/or viral--exclude until permission and/or permit is issued by a physician or local health authority or until symptom free;
(6) Fever--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without use of fever suppressing medications;
(7) Fifth disease (erythema infectiosum)--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(8) Gastroenteritis--exclude until diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications;
(9) Giardiasis--exclude until diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications;
(10) Hepatitis A--exclude until one week after onset of illness;
(11) Infections (wounds, skin, and soft tissue)--exclude until drainage from wounds or skin and soft tissue infections is contained and maintained in a clean dry bandage; restrict from situations that could result in the infected area becoming exposed, wet, soiled, or otherwise compromised;
(12) Infectious mononucleosis--exclude until physician decides or fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(13) Influenza--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(14) Measles (rubeola)--exclude until four days after rash onset or in the case of an outbreak, unimmunized children should also be excluded until at least two weeks after the onset of the last rash;
(15) Meningitis, bacterial--exclude until written permission and/or permit is issued by a physician or local health authority;
(16) Meningitis, viral--exclude until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(17) Mumps--exclude until five days after the onset of swelling;
(18) Pertussis (whooping cough)--exclude until completion of five days of antibiotic therapy;
(19) Ringworm--none, if infected area can be completely covered by clothing or a bandage, otherwise exclude until treatment has begun;
(20) Rubella (German measles)--exclude until seven days after rash onset or in the case of an outbreak, unimmunized children should be excluded until at least three weeks after the onset of the last rash;
(21) Salmonellosis--exclude until diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(22) Scabies--According to the Centers for Disease Control, skin to skin contact should be avoided for 8 hours after treatment for scabies. For this reason, all students diagnosed with scabies will be excluded from school for 7 hours after treatment is completed;
(23) Shigellosis--exclude until diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of diarrhea suppressing medications and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications;
(24) Streptococcal sore throat and scarlet fever--exclude until 24 hours from time antibiotic treatment was begun and fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications; and
(25) Tuberculosis, pulmonary--exclude until antibiotic treatment has begun and a physician's certificate or health permit obtained.