General topics

Note Some information on this page copied from SA Dept of Human Services web site.

Exclusion from child care, preschool and school

The spread of certain infectious diseases can be reduced by excluding a person, known to be infectious, from contact with others who are at risk of catching the infection.

The need for exclusion depends on:

• the ease with which the infection can be spread
• the ability of the infected person to follow hygiene precautions
• and to a lesser extent, the severity of the disease.

Recommended exclusion periods are based on the time that a person with a specific disease or condition might be infectious to others.

Recommended non-exclusion means there is not a significant risk of infection to others. A person who is not excluded may still need to remain at home because they do not feel well.

The following are recommended minimum periods of exclusion from school, preschool and child care centres for cases of and contact with infectious diseases issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council in January 1997. In addition, suggested exclusion periods for cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, hydatid disease, Ross River virus infection, rotavirus infection, thrush (candidiasis), toxoplasmosis and warts are given.

Recommended exclusion periods from child care, preschool and school
 

Disease or condition	Exclusion of case* (from school or work)	Exclusion of contacts** (from school or work)
Amoebiasis (Entamoeba histolytica)	Exclude until diarrhoea ceases	Not excluded
Campylobacter infection	Exclude until diarrhoea ceases	Not excluded
Chickenpox	Exclude until fully recovered or for at least 5 days after eruption first appears. Note that some remaining scabs are not a reason for continued exclusion.	Any child with an immune deficiency (for example, leukaemia) or receiving chemotherapy should be excluded for their own protection. Otherwise not excluded.
CMV (cytomegalovirus infection)	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Conjunctivitis	Exclude until discharge from eyes ceases	Not excluded
Cryptosporidiosis	Exclude until diarrhoea ceases	Not excluded
Diarrhoea	Exclude until diarrhoea ceases	Not excluded
Diphtheria	Exclude until medical certificate of recovery is received following at least two negative throat swabs, the first not less than 24 hours after finishing a course of antibiotics and the other 48 hours later	Exclude family/household contacts until cleared to return by an appropriate health authority
Fifth disease (erythema infectiosum, parvovirus infection)	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Giardiasis	Exclude until diarrhoea ceases	Not excluded
Glandular fever (mononucleosis)	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Hand foot and mouth disease	Exclude until all blisters are dry	Not excluded
Haemophilus type b (Hib)	Exclude until medical certificate of recovery is received	Not excluded
Head lice (pediculosis)	Exclude until the day after appropriate treatment has commenced	Not excluded
Hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis)	Exclude until a medical certificate of recovery is received, but not before seven days after the onset of jaundice or illness.	Not excluded
Hepatitis B	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Hepatitis C	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Herpes simplex (cold sores or fever blisters)	Young children unable to comply with good hygiene practices should be excluded while the lesion is weeping. Lesions should be covered by dressing where possible.	Not excluded
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS)	Exclusion is NOT necessary, however, if the person is severely immuno-compromised they will be vulnerable to other people’s illnesses	Not excluded
Hydatid disease	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Influenza and influenza like illnesses	Exclude until well	Not excluded
Legionnaires' disease	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Leprosy	Exclude until approval to return has been given by an appropriate health authority	Not excluded
Measles	Exclude for at least four days after the onset of the rash	Immunised contacts not excluded. Non-immunised contacts should be excluded for 14 days after the first day of appearance of rash in the last case. If non-immunised contacts are vaccinated within 72 hours of their first contact with the first case they may then return to school
Meningitis (bacterial)	Exclude until well	Not excluded
Meningococcal infection	Exclude until adequate carrier eradication therapy has been completed	Not excluded if receiving rifampicin
Molluscum contagiosum	Exclusion not necessary	Not excluded
Mumps	Exclude for nine days or until swelling goes down (whichever is sooner)	Not excluded
Poliomyelitis	Exclude for at least 14 days from onset. Allow entry after receiving medical certificate of recovery.	Not excluded.
Ringworm/tinea	Exclude until the day after appropriate treatment has commenced	Not excluded
Ross River virus (epidemic polyarthritis)	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Rotavirus infection	Exclude until diarrhoea and vomiting ceases	Not excluded
Rubella (German measles)	Exclude until fully recovered or for at least four days after the onset of the rash	Not excluded
Salmonella infection	Exclude until diarrhoea ceases	Not excluded
Scabies	Exclude until the day after appropriate treatment has commenced.	Not excluded
Scarlet fever	(see Streptococcal Sore Throat)
School sores (impetigo)	Exclude until appropriate treatment has commenced. Any sores on exposed surfaces should be covered with a watertight dressing	Not excluded
Shigella infection	Exclude until diarrhoea ceases	Not excluded
Streptococcal sore throat (including Scarlet fever)	Exclude until the person has received antibiotic treatment for at least 24 hours and the person feels well	Not excluded
Thrush (candidiasis)	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Toxoplasmosis	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Tuberculosis (TB)	Exclude until medical certificate is produced from appropriate health authority	Not excluded
Viral gastroenteritis (viral diarrhoea)	Exclude until diarrhoea ceases	Not excluded
Warts (common, flat and plantar)	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Whooping cough (pertussis)	Exclude for five days after starting antibiotic treatment	Exclude unimmunised contacts aged <7 years from school for 14 days after the last exposure to infection or until they have been on antibiotic treatment for at least 5 days of a minimum 14 day course of antibiotics
Worms	Exclude if diarrhoea present	Not excluded

* Case: an ill person
** Contacts: those having contact with an ill person

Note: The NHMRC recommends that children who are physically unwell should be excluded from attending school, preschool and child care centres.
 

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