Table: Infectious Diseases poster
| Condition | This disease is spread by | Early symptoms | Time between exposure and sickness | Exclusion from school, early childhood centre, or work * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashes and skin infections | ||||
| Chickenpox # ** | Coughing, sneezing and contact with weeping blisters. | Fever and spots with a blister on top of each spot. | 10-21 days after being exposed. | 1 week from appearance of rash, or until all blisters have dried. |
| Hand, foot and mouth disease | Coughing, sneezing, and poor hand washing. | Fever, flu-like symptoms – rash on soles and palms and in the mouth. | 3-5 days | Exclude until blisters have dried. If blisters able to be covered, and child feeling well, they will not need to be excluded. |
| Head lice (Nits) | Direct contact with an infested person’s hair, and less commonly by contact with contaminated surfaces and objects. | Itchy scalp, especially behind ears. Occasionally scalp infections that require treatment may develop. | N/A | None, but ECC/school should be informed. Treatment recommended to kill eggs and lice. |
| Measles ! # ** | Coughing and sneezing. Direct contact with an infected person. Highly infectious. | Runny nose and eyes, cough and fever, followed a few days later by a rash. | 7-21 days | 5 days after the appearance of rash. Non-immune contacts of a case may be excluded. |
| Ringworm | Contact with infected skin, bedding and clothing. | Flat, ring-shaped rash. | 4-6 weeks | None, but skin contact should be avoided. |
| Rubella (German Measles) ! # ** | Coughing and sneezing. Also direct contact with an infected person. | Fever, swollen neck glands and a rash
on the face, scalp and body. |
14-23 days | Until well and for 7 days from appearance of rash. |
| Scabies | Contact with infected skin, bedding and clothing. | Itchy rash | 4–6 weeks (but if had scabies before it may develop within 1-4 days) | Exclude until the day after appropriate treatment. |
| School sores (Impetigo) | Direct contact with infected sores. | Blisters on the body which burst and turn into scabby sores. | Variable | Until sores have dried up or 24 hours after antibiotic treatment has started. |
| Slapped cheek (Human parvovirus infection) # | Coughing and sneezing. The virus may be passed from mother to child during pregnancy. | Red cheeks and lace-like rash on body. | 4-20 days | Unnecessary unless unwell. |
|
Diarrhoea & Vomiting illnesses |
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| Campylobacter ! Cryptosporidium ! Giardia ! Salmonella ! |
Undercooked food, contaminated water. Direct spread from an infected person or animal. | Stomach pain, fever, nausea, diarrhoea and/or vomiting. | Campylobacter: 1-10 days
Cryptosporidium: 1-12 days
Giardia: 3-25 days Salmonella: 6-72 hours |
Until well and for 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting.
Cryptosporidium: do not use public pool for 2 weeks after symptoms have stopped.
Salmonella: discuss exclusion on cases with public health service. |
| Hepatitis A ! | Contaminated food or water, direct spread from an infected person. |
Nausea, stomach pains, general sickness with jaundice (yellow skin) appearing a few days later. |
15-50 days | 7 days from the onset of jaundice. |
| Norovirus | Contact with secretions from infected people. | Nausea, diarrhoea/and or vomiting. | 1-2 days | Until well and for 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting. |
| Rotavirus ** | Direct spread from infected person. | Nausea, diarrhoea/and or vomiting. | 1-2 days | Until well and for 48 hours after the last Rotavirus episode of diarrhoea or vomiting. |
| Shigella ! | Contaminated food or water, contact with an infected person.
|
Diarrhoea (may be bloody), fever, stomach pain. | 12 hours-1 week | Discuss exclusion of cases and their contacts with public health service. |
| VTEC/STEC !(Verocytotoxin- or shiga toxin-producing E. coli) | Contaminated food or water, unpasteurised milk. Direct contact with animals or infected person. | High incidence of bloody diarrhoea, stomach pain. High rate of hospitalisation and complications. | 2-10 days | Discuss exclusion of cases and their contacts with public health service. |
|
Respiratory Infections |
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| Influenza and Influenza-like illness (ILI) ** | Coughing and sneezing. Direct contact with infected person. | Sudden onset of fever with cough, sore throat, muscular aches and a headache. | 1–4 days (average about 2 days) | Until well. |
| Streptococcal sore throat | Contact with secretions of a sore throat. (Coughing, sneezing etc.) | Headache, vomiting, sore throat. An untreated sore throat could lead to Rheumatic fever. | 1-3 days | Exclude until well and/or has received antibiotic treatment for at least 24 hours. |
| Whooping cough (Pertussis) ! # ** | Coughing. Adults and older children can pass on the infection to babies. | Runny nose, persistent cough followed by “whoop”, vomiting or breathlessness. | 5-21 days | Five days from commencing antibiotic treatment or, if no antibiotic treatment then 21 days from onset of illness or until no more coughing, whichever comes first. |
| Other Infections | ||||
| Conjunctivitis (Pink eye) | Direct contact with discharge from the eyes or with items contaminated by the discharge. | Irritation and redness of eye. Sometimes there is a discharge. | 2–10 days (usually 3–4 days) | While there is discharge from the eyes. |
| Meningococcal Meningitis ! ** | Close contact with oral secretions. (Coughing, sneezing, etc.) | Generally unwell, fever, headache, vomiting, sometimes a rash. Urgent treatment is required. | 3-7 days | Until well enough to return. |
| Meningitis – Viral | Spread through different routes including coughing, sneezing, faecal-oral route. | Generally unwell, fever, headache, vomiting. | Variable | Until well. |
| Mumps ! ** | Coughing, sneezing and infected saliva. | Pain in jaw, then swelling in front of ear and fever. | 12-25 days | Exclude until 5 days after facial swelling develops, or until well. |
* Seek further advice from a healthcare professional or public health service
** Vaccine-preventable and/or on National Immunisation Schedule
! Notifiable disease (Doctors notify the Public Health Service)
# Pregnant women should seek advice from their maternity provider or G.P.
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