Disease
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Symptoms
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Incubation
Period
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School
Action and Comments on Communicability
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Source
of Infection and Mode of Transportation
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Chickenpox
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Slight
fever, general feeling of illness, rash resembling water blisters
appearing after 3-4 days. Scabs appear later
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2
to 3 weeks
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1.
Exclude from school until vesicles are dry and crusted. Usually 10
days.
2.
Contagious five days before eruption and not more than six days after
last crop of vesicles
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Virus
spread directly from person through discharge from the nose and mouth,
also by discharge from the skin and mucous membranes of infected
persons. Readily communicable. One attack usually confers immunity.
Children on immunosuppressive drugs at high risk.
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Cold
Sores
(Herpes Simplex)
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Vesicles
usually on lips but may occur anywhere on skin or in mucous membranes.
May be confused with Impetigo.
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2
to 12 days
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1.
No restriction.
2.
May be communicable as long as seven weeks after lesion appears.
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Virus
is transmitted by direct contact with infected persons, a majority of
whom have no apparent infection.
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Common Cold
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Acute
upper respiratory signs, including watery eyes, sneezing, running nose,
general feeling of illness.
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12
hours to 3 days
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1.
No restrictions unless ill.
2.
Communicable 24 hours before onset and fore five days after nasal
involvement.
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Virus
spread directly through coughing, sneezing, and explosive manner of
speech in which droplets are cast; indirectly through articles
freshly soiled by discharges of infected person.
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Influenza
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Chills,
body ache, headache, fever, sore throat, nose and possible stomach ache.
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24
- 72 hours
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1.
Exclude from school until clinically well, usually 2-7 days.
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Virus
spread directly through coughing, sneezing and contact with nose or
throat discharge of patient. Possibly airborne.
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Impetigo
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Blisters,
pustule rapidly covered with honey-colored crust. May be confused
with cold sores.
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1
to 6 days,
occasionally
longer
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1.
Exclude from school until verification of treatment, or until lesions
are dry.
2.
Contagious until lesions are healed.
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Bacteria
spread by direct contact with persons or with articles freshly soiled
with discharges from nose or throat of patient; airborne transmission
also occurs. Usually caused by Group A Bets-Streptococcus.
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Mono-Nucleosis
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Include
fever, sore throat, swollen lymph glands (neck).
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Probably
2 to 6 weeks
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1.
Restrict only according to doctor orders.
2.
Period of communicability unknown.
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Virus
spread by respiratory route. Kissing may facilitate spread among young
adults.
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Lice
(Pediculosis)
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Infestation
of the head hair or other hairy parts of the body or of clothing with
lice or nits. Pubic (crab) lice usually infest in the public area.
Scratching causes reddened rash-like area. (Nits--eggs, tiny white,
stuck to hair, usually close to scalp at neckline and/or behind ears.)
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Variable,
eggs
hatch in one week
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1.
Exclude until lice and nits are adequately treated or removed. Health
office to re-examine student 10 days after treatment.
2.
Considered communicable until treated.
3.
Advise exam of household contacts for nits and lice.
4.
When appropriate, schools may exclude until all nits are removed.
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Louse
transmitted primarily by direct contact with infested persons. Lice can
also be transmitted through combs, brushes, bedding, wearing apparel,
and upholstered furniture.
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Pink
Eye
(Conjunctivitis)
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Redness
of conjunctiva. May or may not have purulent discharge. Eye
irritation.
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24
- 72 hours
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1.
Refer for medical diagnosis and treatment.
2.
Communicability depends on agent.
3.
Exclude from school until verification of diagnosis and treatment.
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Most
are viral in etiology; some bacterial. May be spread though hand-eye
contact.
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Reye's
Syndrome
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Sudden
onset of violent vomiting, mental confusion, extreme sleepiness, very
fatigued, twitching or jerking movements, hostility, coma.
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1
to 7 days following
viral
infection (cold,
flu,
chicken pox)
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1.
If one or more symptoms appear, call physician immediately.
2.
Go to emergency room of hospital.
3.
Do not give aspirin or aspirin substitutes.
4.
Exclude from school until clinically well.
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Usually
follows viral infection. It is not contagious. Cause unknown. No
prevention. Requires immediate attention at onset of symptoms. Most
common in young children.
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Ringworm
Body
(Tinea Corporis)
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Ring-shaped
or irregular lesion with elevated vesicular or scaly borders. May show
central clearing. May become inflamed and encrusted.
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1
to 3 weeks
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1.
Exclude from school until verification of treatment.
2.
Communicable as long as fungi can be recovered.
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Contact
with man or animal infected with the fungus or its spores, and by
contact with contaminated articles.
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Scabies
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Itching,
scratch marks, or burrow marks. Common sites are thighs, belt line,
wrists, elbows, webs of fingers. Scratching may cause secondary
infections or rash.
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Days
to weeks
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1.
Exclude from school until adequately treated.
2.
Communicable until treated.
3.
Family should be examined.
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Mite
is transferred by direct contact with an infected person, and to a
limited extent, undergarments or soiled sheets freshly contaminated by
and infected person.
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Strep Throat
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Fever,
sore throat, headache, nausea, vomiting. (If associated with rash, it is
called Scarlet Fever.)
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1
to 3 days
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1.
Exclude from school until throat culture report is received.
2.
If positive for strep, exclude from school until 24 hours after
antibiotic treatment is started and until clinically well.
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Bacteria
spread directly from nose and throat discharges of infected persons.
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