Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases
Overview and Introduction
Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases
A Guide for School Administrators, Nurses, Teachers, Child Care Providers, and Parents or Guardians
Editors:
Jess Pearson, MPH
Alex Berkley, MPH
Nathan Koffarnus, MPH
John Bos, MPH
Jefferson City, MO
(573) 751-6113
(800) 392-0272 (24/7)
Email: info@health.mo.gov
Help Control Communicable Diseases
Vaccines are now available to control the majority of diseases that have caused illness and death in children in the past. Medical treatments help to control many others, but schools and child care centers must continue to play an important role in controlling the spread of communicable disease. By enforcing the state communicable disease regulations, excluding children who are ill, and promptly reporting all suspected cases of communicable disease, personnel working with children can help ensure the good health of the children in their care.
Be alert for signs of illness such as elevated temperature, skin rashes, inflamed eyes, and flushed, pale or sweaty appearance. If a child shows these or other signs of illness, pain or physical distress, he/she should be evaluated by a health care provider. Children or staff with communicable diseases should not be allowed to attend or work in a school or child care setting until they are well. Recommendations for exclusion necessary to prevent exposure to others are contained in this document.
Please report all suspected cases of communicable disease promptly to your local or state health department. Prompt reporting is the first step to ensuring appropriate control measures.
Additional information concerning individual communicable diseases is contained in the Communicable Disease Investigation Reference Manual, which can be found on the Department of Health and Senior Services website at https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/communicabledisease/cdmanual/index.php. [NEEDS LINK]
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department, Hopkins, Minnesota, who allowed us to use their materials in the development of this manual.
Reviewer List
We would like to thank the following public health professionals for their valuable comments and suggestions in reviewing this manual.
Bureau of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention
Matthew Flint, MPH
Jessica Goswitz, MPH
Brooklyn White, MPH
Abigail Allison, MPH
Bureau of Environmental Health Services
Molly Grellner
Missouri State Epidemiologist
George Turabelidze, MD, PhD
Office of Emergency Coordination
Jody Starr
Bureau of Immunization
Lynelle Paro
Bureau of Genetics and Healthy Childhood
Marge Cole, RN, MSN, FASHA
Office of Public Information
Lisa Cox
Sami Jo Freeman
Missouri Department of Secondary Education
Nancy Scherer
Introduction
The number of families with young children in out-of-home child care has been steadily increasing. A variety of infections have been documented in children attending child care, sometimes with spread to caregivers and to others at home. Infants and preschool-aged children are very susceptible to contagious diseases because they 1) have not been exposed to many infections, 2) have little or no immunity to these infections, and 3) may not have received any or all of their vaccinations.
Close physical contact for extended periods of time, inadequate hygiene habits, and underdeveloped immune systems place children attending child care and special needs settings at increased risk of infection. For instance, the spread of diarrheal disease may readily occur with children in diapers and others with special needs due to inadequate handwashing, environmental sanitation practices, and diaper changing.
This manual contains 55 disease fact sheets for providers about specific infectious diseases. These fact sheets have been designed to provide specific disease prevention and control guidelines that are consistent with the national standards put forth by the American Public Health Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Some indicate when immediate action is necessary. Please note that on the PROVIDER fact sheets, for any diseases labeled "REPORTABLE", the provider MUST consult with the LOCAL or STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. After receiving approval from the local or state health department, the PARENT/GUARDIAN fact sheets would be posted or distributed to the parents/guardians.
In addition to the provider fact sheets, 48 of the fact sheets are available in a format specifically for parents/guardians of child care and school-aged children. PARENT/GUARDIAN is written in the upper right-hand corner.
This manual contains information on numerous topics for both staff and parents/guardians. The Table of Contents shows the location of specific information.
This document replaces all previous versions of the “Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases, A Guide for School Administrators, Nurses, Teachers, and Child Care Providers”.
Disclaimer
In clinical practice, certain circumstances and individual cases require professional judgment beyond the scope of this document. Practitioners and users of this manual should not limit their judgment on the management and control of communicable disease to this publication and are well advised to review the references that are listed, and remain informed of new developments and resulting changes in recommendations on communicable disease prevention and control.