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COMMUNICABLE DISEASES |
Parents of students with a communicable or contagious
disease are asked to telephone the school nurse/principal so that other students
who have been exposed to the disease can be alerted. Students with certain
diseases are not allowed to come to school when their disease is contagious.
These diseases include: chickenpox, common cold with fever, diphtheria, fever
(100.4 or greater), viral gastroenteritis, head lice, viral hepatitis, impetigo,
influenza, measles, meningitis, mumps, pink eye, polio, ringworm of the scalp,
salmonellas, scabies, shigellosis, strep throat or scarlet fever, pulmonary
tuberculosis, and whooping cough. Students with AIDS/HIV infection shall be
excluded when: 1) A medical advisor determines that open sores or skin
eruptions, behavior, or lack of toilet training pose a risk to others; 2) cases
of measles, rubella, or chickenpox are occurring in the school.
State law requires the District to provide the following
information:
Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain
and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria.
Viral meningitis is most common and the least serious. Bacterial meningitis is
the most common form of serious bacterial infection with the potential for
serious, long-term complications. It is an uncommon disease, but requires
urgent treatment with antibiotics to prevent permanent damage or death.
Someone with meningitis will become very ill. The illness
may develop over one or two days, but it can also rapidly progress in a matter
of hours. Not everyone with meningitis will have the same symptoms.
Children (over 1 year old) and
adults with meningitis may have a severe headache, high temperature, vomiting,
sensitivity to bright lights, neck stiffness or joint pains, and drowsiness or
confusion. In both children and adults, there may be a rash of tiny, red-purple
spots. These can occur anywhere on the body.
The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is based on a
combination of symptoms and laboratory results.
If it is diagnosed early and treated promptly, the
majority of people make a complete recovery. In some cases it can be fatal or a
person may be left with a permanent disability.
HOW
IS BACTERIAL MENINGITIS SPREAD?
Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis
are as contagious as diseases like the common cold or the flu, and they are not
spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with
meningitis has been. The germs live naturally in the back of our noses and
throats, but they do not live for long outside the body. They are spread when
people exchange saliva (such as by kissing; sharing drinking containers,
utensils, or cigarettes).
The germ does not cause
meningitis in most people. Instead, most people become carriers of the germ for
days, weeks, or even months. The bacteria rarely overcome the body’s immune
system and cause meningitis or another serious illness.
Do not share food, drinks, utensils, toothbrushes, or
cigarettes. Limit the number of persons you kiss.
While there are vaccines for
some other strains of bacterial meningitis, they are used only in special
circumstances. These include when there is a disease outbreak in a community or
for people traveling to a country where there is a high risk of getting the
disease. Also, a vaccine is recommended by some groups for college students,
particularly freshmen living in dorms or residence halls. The vaccine is safe
and effective (85–90 percent). It can cause mild side effects, such as redness
and pain at the injection site lasting up to two days. Immunity develops within
seven to ten days after the vaccine is given and lasts for up to five years.
WHAT
SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU THINK YOU OR A FRIEND MIGHT HAVE BACTERIAL MENINGITIS?
You should seek prompt medical attention.
Your school nurse, family doctor, and the staff at your
local or regional health department office are excellent sources for information
on all communicable diseases. You may also call your local health department or
Regional Texas Department of Health office to ask about meningococcal vaccine.
Additional information may also be found at the web sites for the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
http://www.cdc.gov, and the Texas Department of Health,
http://www.tdh.state.tx.us.
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