1. (a) The Texas Department of Health (department) publication titled "Communicable Disease Chart for Schools and Child Care Centers" may be used to determine the incubation period, early signs of illness, and prevention/treatment measures of communicable conditions. Copies are available on request.

2. (b) The owner or operator of a child-care facility, or the school administrator, shall exclude from attendance any child having or suspected of having a communicable condition. Exclusion shall continue until the readmission criteria for the conditions are met. The conditions and readmission criteria are as follows:

   1. (1) amebiasis--exclude until treatment is initiated;
   2. (2) campylobacteriosis--exclude until after diarrhea and fever subside;
   3. (3) chickenpox--exclude until after seven days from onset of rash, except immunocompromised individuals who should not return until all blisters have crusted over (may be longer than seven days);
   4. (4) common cold--exclude until fever subsides;
   5. (5) conjunctivitis, bacterial and/or viral--exclude until written permission and/or permit is issued by a physician or local health authority;
   6. (6) fever--exclude until fever subsides;
   7. (7) fifth disease (erythema infectiosum)--exclude until fever subsides;
   8. (8) gastroenteritis, viral--exclude until diarrhea subsides;
   9. (9) giardiasis--exclude until diarrhea subsides;
   10. (10) head lice (pediculosis)--exclude until one medicated shampoo or lotion treatment has been given;
   11. (11) hepatitis, viral, Type A--exclude until one week after onset of illness;
   12. (12) impetigo--exclude until treatment has begun;
   13. (13) infectious mononucleosis--exclude until physician decides or fever subsides;
   14. (14) influenza--exclude until fever subsides;
   15. (15) measles (rubeola)--exclude until four days after rash onset or in the case of an outbreak, unimmunized children should also be excluded for at least two weeks after last rash onset occurs;
   16. (16) meningitis, bacterial--exclude until written permission and/or permit is issued by a physician or local health authority;
   17. (17) meningitis, viral--exclude until fever subsides;
   18. (18) mumps--exclude until nine days after the onset of swelling;
   19. (19) pertussis (whooping cough)--exclude until completion of five days of antibiotic therapy;
   20. (20) ringworm of the scalp--exclude until treatment has begun;
   21. (21) rubella (German measles)--exclude until seven days after rash onset or in the case of an outbreak, unimmunized children should be excluded for at least three weeks after last rash onset occurs;
   22. (22) salmonellosis--exclude until diarrhea and fever subside;
   23. (23) scabies--exclude until treatment has begun;
   24. (24) shigellosis--exclude until diarrhea and fever subside;
   25. (25) streptococcal sore throat and scarlet fever--exclude until 24 hours from time antibiotic treatment was begun and fever subsided; and
   26. (26) tuberculosis, pulmonary--exclude until antibiotic treatment has begun and a physician's certificate or health permit obtained.
3. (b) The owner or operator of a child-care facility, or the school administrator, shall exclude from attendance any child having or suspected of having a communicable disease designated by the commissioner of health (commissioner) as cause for exclusion until one of the criteria listed in subsection (c) of this section is fulfilled.

4. (c) Any child excluded for reason of communicable disease may be readmitted, as determined by the health authority, by submitting:

   1. (1) a certificate of the attending physician attesting that the child does not currently have signs or symptoms of a communicable disease or to the disease's non-communicability in a child-care or school setting;
   2. (2) a permit for readmission issued by a local health authority; or
   3. (3) readmission criteria as established by the commissioner.

Source Note:The provisions of this §97.7 adopted to be effective March 16, 1994, 19 TexReg 1453.