Communicable Diseases in Schools - HAN
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Communicable Disease in Schools
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified some communicable diseases that health care providers, including nurses, must report to the state or local health department.
- Due to the immediate threat posed by some diseases, the diseases listed that are to be immediately reported (within three hours) and those to be reported within 24 hours should be reported by school nurses within those time frames as soon as notified by a parent or the student's health care provider that the disease is present or suspected.
- Any schools located in Chicago MUST report to any of these reportable conditions to CDPH
- If your school is not located in Chicago, please report to your local health authority.
- Please review all the IDPH requirements for communicable disease reporting
- IDPH and ISBE provides guidance to schools.
- This reporting is required by the Public Health Code.
Learn more here
- There are many situations that are not covered in this section.
- There is a LOT of information on the CDC and IDPH about communicable diseases. We have worked to curate some of that information on this site for Chicago schools.
- If you have questions about medication administration or other school nursing questions, please review the ISBE site.
- The school nursing is directed by the Illinois Nurse Practice Act in which schools are considered a community setting.
- Pediatric vaccines are VITAL in keeping schools healthy. Learn more about state vaccine requirements here.
- Some general rules of thumb
- People must be at least 24 hours fever free (without the use of fever reducing medications) before returning to school.
- People must at least 24 hours after their last episode of vomiting and/or diarrhea before returning to school, though 48 hours is preferred.
Reporting Cases
- How to report to CDPH
- For all communicable diseases that require reporting (other than TB) please call (312) 746-6015 or email us at SchoolsCD@cityofchicago.org or complete this REDcap Form.
- If multiple COVID cases are reported, please use this line list: COVIDLineListSY22-23
If multiple cases of another communicable disease are reported, please use this line list: CDLineListSY22-23 - If you need to report a case of TB please reach out to (312)-743-9000
- If you are calling about ANY disease after hours, please call 311 ask for the communicable disease medical director on-call.
- If multiple COVID cases are reported, please use this line list: COVIDLineListSY22-23
- If you are part of Chicago Public Schools:
- School administrator reach out to your schools HSN/CSN for support and next steps.
- CPS HSNs/CSNs reach out to your nurse manager once you receive a report for next steps.
- Nursing with work with OSHW to report to CDPH.
- Single cases must be reported as soon as possible but within 24 hours
- Clusters of cases must be reported to CDPH
- For all communicable diseases that require reporting (other than TB) please call (312) 746-6015 or email us at SchoolsCD@cityofchicago.org or complete this REDcap Form.
Disease List for Schools
- Disease List for Schools
- Acute Gastroenteritis in Schools
- Bed Bugs in Schools
- Chickenpox in Schools
- Common Cold in Schools
- COVID in Schools
- Diphtheria in Schools
- Fifth Disease in Schools
- Flu in Schools
- Head Lice in Schools
- HFMD in Schools
- Impetigo in Schools
- Measles in Schools
- Meningitis in Schools
- Molluscum in Schools
- Mpox in Schools
- Mono in Schools
- MRSA in Schools
- Mumps in Schools
- Noro Virus in Schools
- Pertussis in Schools
- Pink eye in Schools
- Ringworm in Schools
- RSV in Schools
- Rubella in Schools
- Scabies in Schools
- Shigella in Schools
- Strep throat in Schools
- TB in Schools
- Tetanus in Schools
General Resources
Webinars
Norovirus webinar recording (March 2023)
Norovirus webinar recording (March 2023)
Communicable Diseases in Schools
For all reportable communicable diseases (other than TB) please call (312) 746-6015, email us at SchoolsCD@cityofchicago.org or complete this REDcap Form.
- If multiple COVID cases are reported, please use this line list: COVIDLineListSY22-23
- If multiple cases of another communicable disease are reported, please use this line list: CDLineListSY22-23
- If you need to report a case of active TB disease, please reach out to (312)-743-9000
- If you are calling about ANY disease after hours, please call 311 ask for the communicable disease medical director on-call.
If you are part of Chicago Public Schools, please follow the internal protocol for reporting.
