The rules in this chapter identify certain contagious diseases that may affect children, or others who are susceptible, in schools, and childcare centers. When an outbreak or potential outbreak of a contagious disease is identified in a school or childcare center, the rules in this chapter identify what schools, childcare centers and local health officers may do to control or prevent a potential outbreak of the contagious disease. These rules are in addition to other requirements imposed by chapter 246-100 WAC, Communicable and certain other diseases and chapter 246-101 WAC, Notifiable conditions.

These rules do not require school or childcare center personnel to diagnose or treat children.

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

(1) "Childcare center" means any facility or center licensed by the department of early learning as described in chapter 43.215 RCW that regularly provides care for a group of children for periods of less than twenty-four hours per day.

(2) "Contact" means a person exposed to a contagious person or animal, or a contaminated source which might provide an opportunity to acquire the infection.

(3) "Contagious disease" means an illness caused by an infectious agent of public health concern which can be transmitted from one person, animal, or object to another person by direct or indirect means including transmission through an intermediate host or vector, food, water, or air. Contagious diseases include, but are not limited to:

(a) Bacterial Meningitis

(i) Haemophilus influenzae invasive disease (excluding Otitis media)

(ii) Meningococcal

(b) Diarrheal diseases due to or suspected to be caused by an infectious agent

(i) Cryptosporidiosis

(ii) Giardiasis

(iii) Hepatitis A

(iv) Salmonellosis

(v) Shigellosis

(vi) Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)

(c) Diseases spread through the air - Tuberculosis

(d) Vaccine preventable diseases

(i) Chickenpox (Varicella)

(ii) Diphtheria

(iii) German measles (Rubella)

(iv) Measles (Rubeola)

(v) Mumps

(vi) Whooping cough (Pertussis)

(4) "Contaminated" means containing or having contact with infectious agents that pose an immediate threat to present or future public health.

(5) "Exposed" means such association with a person or animal in the infectious stage of a disease, or with a contaminated source, which provides the opportunity to acquire the infection.

(6) "Infectious agent" means an organism that is capable of producing infection or infectious disease.

(7) "Outbreak" means the occurrence of cases of a disease or condition in any area over a given period of time in excess of the expected number of cases as determined by the local health officer.

(8) "School" means each building, facility, and location at or within which any or all portions of a preschool, kindergarten, and grades one through twelve program of education and related activities are conducted for two or more students or children by or on behalf of any public school district and by or on behalf of any private school or private institution subject to approval by the state board of education.

(9) "Susceptible" means a person who has no immunity to an infectious agent.

(1) When a school or childcare center becomes aware of the presence of a contagious disease at the facility, as defined in WAC 246-110-010, the officials at the school or childcare center shall notify the appropriate local health officer for guidance.

(2) When there is an outbreak of a contagious disease, as defined in WAC 246-110-010, and there is the potential for a case or cases within a school or childcare center, the local health officer, after consultation with the secretary of health or designee if appropriate, shall take all appropriate actions deemed to be necessary to control or eliminate the spread of the disease within their local health jurisdiction including, but not limited to:

(a) Closing part or all of the affected school(s) or childcare center(s);

(b) Closing other schools or childcare centers;

(c) Canceling activities or functions at schools or childcare centers;

(d) Excluding from schools or childcare centers any students, staff, and volunteers who are infectious, or exposed and susceptible to the disease.

(3) Prior to taking action the health officer shall:

(a) Consult with and discuss the ramifications of action with the superintendent of the school district, or the chief administrator of the childcare center or their designees on the proposed action; and

(b) Provide the superintendent of the school district or the chief administrator of the childcare center or their designees a written decision, in the form and substance of an order, directing them to take action. The order must set the terms and conditions permitting;

(i) Schools or childcare centers to reopen;

(ii) Activities and functions to resume; and

(iii) Excluded students, staff and volunteers to be readmitted.

(c) Pursue, in consultation with the secretary of health or designee if appropriate, and school or childcare officials, the investigation of the source of disease, or those actions necessary to ultimately control the disease.