• Communicable Disease Information

    The following infectious bacterial diseases are commonly found in school-year-age children. The checked box below indicates that this contagious disease is now occurring in your child’s classroom and your child may have been exposed. The information provided is just general guidance; please consult with your physician if any of the symptoms listed below appear OR for more information. Everyone is better protected when a child with a communicable disease is kept at home until medically treated and cleared by their doctor to return to school.

    □ IMPETIGO - Infection forms small blisters, pimples or lesions that appear as small clusters filled with thin yellow fluid that dries into honey-colored crusts or scabs with little inflammation, but much itching. Most commonly found on the face near the nose and mouth. Scratching the lesions causes them to spread to other parts of the body. Prompt treatment is important. A child may return to school after 24 hours from the start of medical treatment. *Incubation period is 4 to 10 days. 

    https://www.cdc.gov/groupastrep/diseases-public/index.html 

     

    □ CONJUNCTIVITIS (Pinkeye, eye irritation) - Inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelids and extends over the whites of the eyes . Watery, inflamed eyes, swollen eyelids, blurry vision, mucus and pus discharge from the eyes. Spread by contact with discharge from eyes or upper respiratory tract of infected persons with fingers or contaminated objects. https://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/ 

    □ STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTION (Strep Throat) - This disease occurs suddenly with vomiting, fever, sore throat and headache. A bright rash usually appears within 24 hours. The rash may not appear, but the disease is just as serious. If your child has these symptoms, call your doctor. If the child is under adequate treatment with an effective antibiotic, isolation may be discontinued 24 hours after treatment is begun. If not receiving antibiotics, the child should be isolated for not less than 7 days from onset and until the signs and symptoms completely disappear. *Incubation period is 1 to 3 days. https://www.cdc.gov/groupastrep/diseases-public/index.html 

    □ PEDICULOSIS (Head Lice) – DO NOT CARRY OR TRANSMIT DISEASE, BUT INSTEAD CREATE A NUISANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE DISRUPTIVE AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. Tiny flat appearing insects that live in the hair. They grow in little round silver egg cases (nits) that attach to the base of the hairs and survive by attaching to the human scalp, causing intense itching. All family members should be checked if a case is detected in the family. Nits, small grayish eggs, that stick to the hair shaft should be removed every 2-3 days to reduce the risk of reinfestation with a fine-tooth nit comb. *Incubation period: the eggs of lice hatch in a week, and sexual maturity is reached 7-10 days after they hatch. *Head lice is NOT considered a communicable disease. For more information on head lice:                      

    AParentsGuidetoHeadLice.pdf   UnaGuiaParaPadresDeFamiliaSobreLosPiojosdelaCabeza.pdf 

    □ Hand, foot and mouth disease-  HFMD is common and in the U.S. occurs mostly in the summer and fall, but you can get it any time of year. Because it is common and usually mild, children can continue to go to child care and schools as long as they do not have:   -Fever of 100° F or greater (not to return until fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication), have no uncontrolled drooling with mouth sores, and are feel well enough to participate in classroom activities. Talk with your child’s healthcare provider if you are still not sure when it is okay for them to return. https://www.cdc.gov/hand-foot-mouth/index.html

    *Incubation period is the time elapsed between exposure to a pathogenic organism and when signs and symptoms are first apparent

    Rev: 10/11/23