32. Signs and Symptoms of Communicable Disease Control

Question 1

Signs and symptoms of suspected communicable diseases include:

Answer 1

• Severe coughing, causing the child to become red or blue in the face or make a whooping sound
• Difficult or rapid breathing
• Stiff neck
• Diarrhea, more than one abnormally loose stool within a 24-hour period
• Temperature of 100°F (under the arm) or 101°F (under the tongue) in conjunction with any other signs of illness; any infant younger than 2 months of age with a fever should get immediate attention
• Pink eye or conjunctivitis
• Exposed or open skin lesions
• Unusually dark urine and/or gray or white stool
• Yellowish skin or eyes
• Any other communicable disease symptom

Question 2

Head Lice

Answer 2

Any child identified as having head lice must not be permitted to return to the program until the following day, if treatment has occurred and has been verified, which includes presenting the product box, box top, empty bottle, or signed statement. The program must treat the areas, equipment, toys, and furnishings the child contacted.

Question 3

Outbreak

Answer 3

A suspected outbreak is if two or more children or employees have the onset of similar signs or symptoms within a 72-hour period or when a case of a serious or reportable communicable disease, such as chicken pox, salmonella, etc., is diagnosed or suspected in a child or employee. When this occurs, the operator must notify the local county health department immediately