Procedure #7102
Minnesota State Academies
Faribault Minnesota
SPECIALIZED SEVICES
HEALTH
Communicable Diseases
1. PURPOSE
To establish the Minnesota State Academies position in regard to communicable
disease. Information on Occupation Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens is provided
in Procedure #7105.
2. NEED
Students and employees at the Minnesota State Academies should know that all
reasonable measures are taken to reduce the risk of being infected with a
communicable disease, including but not limited to, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV), Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Hepatitis B and Tuberculosis
while respecting the rights of all students, employees, and contractors, including
those who are infected.
3. STUDENTS
It is the policy of the Board of Education that students with communicable diseases
not be excluded from attending school in their usual daily attendance setting so long
as their health permits and their attendance does not create a significant risk of the
transmission of illness to students or employees of the Academies. Procedures for
the inclusion of students with communicable diseases from school will consider the
educational implications for the student and others with whom he or she comes into
contact and from recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health and
the United States Public Health Service-Centers for Disease Control. The most
current guidelines contained in the “Infectious Diseases in Childcare Settings and
Schools” prepared by Hennepin County Community Health Department
Epidemiology and Environmental Health will be the criteria used for determining
whether a student’s disease creates a substantial risk of transmission of illness to
children or employees of the Academies. A signed permit from a doctor may be
required for re-admittance, if so designated by the health services staff.
4. EMPLOYEES
It is the policy of the Minnesota State Academies that employees with communicable
diseases not be excluded from attending to their customary employment, so long as
they are physically able to perform tasks assigned to them and so long as their
employment does not create a substantial risk of the transmission of illness to
children or employees of the Academies.
5. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITIONS
The Academies recognize that some children, because of age or handicapping
conditions, and some employees, because of special conditions, may pose greater
risks for the transmission of communicable diseases than other persons infected
with the same illness.
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Faribault Minnesota
Examples include children who display biting behavior and student and employees
who are unable to control their bodily fluids or have uncovered oozing wounds.
These conditions need to be taken into account and considered in assessing the risk
of transmission of the disease and the resulting effect upon the educational program
of the student or employment of the employee.
6. COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES
In all cases in which the Academies become aware that a student has contracted a
communicable disease, the Health Coordinator will take the following steps:
A. The parent(s) or guardian of the child, or in the case of an employee, the
employee or his/her family, will be contacted in order to discuss the situation
and determine whatever facts are available.
B. Upon receiving written consent from the parent(s) or guardian of a student or,
in the case of an employee, the employee or his/her family, the Health
Coordinator will confer with treating physician, in order to determine any
significant medical facts concerning the diagnosis of the disease or factors
affecting the possible transmission of the disease.
C. Advise local, county and state public health authorities of the situation.
D. Notify staff working with student of the situation.
E. Where the age of a student, or other condition, such as biting behavior or, in
the case of either an employee or a student, the lack of control of bodily
fluids, or existence of uncovered oozing wounds or other medically
identifiable factors increases the risk of transmission, the Minnesota
Commissioner of Health will be contacted and requested to convene an
Advisory Committee to review the case and to provide recommendations to
District Administration regarding educational placement for a student or
continued attendance at work for an employee. Such Advisory Committee is
to include, wherever possible, the following members:
1) The State Epidemiologist
2) Minnesota Department of Education Representative
3) Physician with expertise in infectious diseases
4) Physician with expertise in communicable diseases
5) Student or employee’s family member
6) Superintendent of the Academies and primary teacher(s), in the
case of a student
7) Health Coordinator
8) The student’s/employee’s physician
F. The Health Coordinator will be responsible for monitoring a student’s medical
status through regular contact with the parent/guardian and the student’s
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Faribault Minnesota
physician. The Health Coordinator, in conjunction with the Superintendent,
will be responsible for monitoring an employee’s medical status through
regular contact with the employee and employee’s physician (when
necessary).
G. If there is a need for change in a student’s educational program, this change
will be made via a recommendation from the Individual Education Program
process.
7. DATA PRIVACY CONCERNS
The Academies protect the privacy rights of all learners of all ages and of all
employees.
A. Health data regarding students is private data, Minn. Statute 13.32, Sub. 2,
and is not to be disseminated to the public or to staff without the strict
observance of data privacy rights. Knowledge that a student has a
communicable disease will be limited to those persons determined to have a
direct need to know.
B. Health data regarding employees is private data, Minn. Statute 13.32, Sub. 2,
and may not be released to the public nor to fellow employees without strict
observance of data privacy right of public employees, Minn. Statute 13.43.
Knowledge that an employee has a communicable disease will be limited to
those persons determined to have a direct need to know.
C. The Academies recognize that the improper and unauthorized release of
health information regarding a student or employee suffering from an
infectious disease has the potential of doing irreparable harm.
8. HYGIENE PRACTICES
Procedures identified in the Department of Labor and Industry, Occupational Safety
and Health Division Standard governing Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne
Pathogens (29CFR 1910.1030) and clarified in the Academies Bloodborne
Pathogens Exposure Procedure (Procedure 7105) must be followed.
Employees who may be expected to have contact with a student or employee under
circumstances giving rise to risk of transmission of a serious illness will be informed
about the condition of the child or fellow employee and instructed regarding the
possible modes of transmission of the disease and provided any special supplies,
such as disposable gloves, which medical advisors deem to be appropriate.
9. BODY FLUIDS
A. The body fluids of all persons should be considered to contain potentially
infectious agents (germs). The term “body fluids” includes: blood, semen,
drainage from scrapes and cuts, feces, urine, vomitus, respiratory secretions
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Faribault Minnesota
(e.g. nasal discharge) and saliva.
Body fluids which require the use of Universal/Standard Precautions are:
blood, semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid synovial fluid, pleural
fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental
procedures and any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with bold, and all
body fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate
between body fluids. Contact with body fluids presents a risk of infection with
a variety of germs. See Procedure #7105.
B. Table 1 (Appendix A) provides examples of particular germs that may occur in
body fluids of children and the respective transmission concerns. It muct be
emphasized that with the exception of blood, which is normally sterile, the
body fluids with which one may come in contact usually contain many
organisms, some of which may cause disease. Furthermore, many germs
may be carried by individuals who have no symptoms of illness. These
individuals may be at various stages of infection: incubating disease, mildly
infected without symptoms, or chronic carriers of certain infectious agents
including the HIV and hepatitis viruses. In fact, transmission of
communicable diseases is more likely to occur from contact with infected
body fluids of unrecognized carriers than from contact with fluids from
recognized individuals because simple precautions are not always carried
out.
10. STAFF AND STUDENT EDUCATION
The Academies recognize that the education of its staff, students and their families,
regarding the risks involved in the spread of infectious diseases in the school setting,
will help to minimize the risk of transmission to other students and employees while
protecting the rights of infected students and employees.
A. All Academies’ employees will receive instruction regarding this procedure
and procedure #7105 Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure.
B. Students will receive age-appropriate instruction in health, including specific
information about communicable diseases, prevention and access to
community resources.
Linda Mitchell, Superintendent
Minnesota State Academies
Reviewer:
Date Originated:
Date Revised:
Health Service Director
09-20-1994
02-13-2012
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Appendix A
TRANSMISSION CONCERNS IN THE SCHOOL SETTING
BODY FLUID SOURCE OF INFECTIOUS AGENTS
Body Fluid - Source
Organism of Concern
Transmission
Concern
Blood
-cuts/abrasions
-nosebleeds
-menses
-contaminated
needle
Hepatitis B Virus
AIDS Virus
Cytomegalovirus
Bloodstream
inoculation through
cuts and abrasions
on hands.
*Feces
-incontinence
Salmonella bacteria
Shigella bacteria
Rotavirus
Hepatitis A virus
Oral inoculation
from contaminated
hands
*Urine
-incontinence
Cytomegalovirus
Bloodstream and
oral - inoculation
from contaminated
hands
Respiratory
Secretions
-saliva
-nasal discharge
Mononucleosis virus
Common cold virus
Influenza virus
Oral inoculation
from contaminated
hands
HIV virus
Hepatitis B virus
Bloodstream through
cuts and abrasions
on hands; bites
*Vomitus
Gastrointestinal
viruses, e.g.
(Norwalk agent
Rotavirus)
Oral inoculation
from contaminated
hands
Semen
Hepatitis B
HIV virus
Sexual contact
(intercourse)
Direct bloodstream
inoculation.
Gonorrhea
*Possible transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B is of little
concern from these sources. There is no evidence at this time to
suggest that the HIV virus is present in these fluids.
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