Based on recommendations of the Australian Health and Medical Research Council the school has produced an information table providing advice to parents of students suffering from an infectious disease. Parents are often uncertain about how long they should keep their child at home or the impact a particular infectious disease may have on siblings and other family members. AIS will now use this document as a guide to the most appropriate exclusion period in each case.

School exclusion periods for students suffering infectious conditions

(Based on Recommendations of the Australian Health and Medical Research Council)

CONDITION	EXCLUSION OF CASE	EXCLUSION OF CONTACT
Amoebiasis (Entamoeba histolytica)	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours	Not excluded
Campylobacter	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours	Not excluded
Candidiasis See Thrush
Chickenpox (Varicella)	Exclude until all blisters have dried. This is usually at least 5 days after the rash first appeared in unimmunised children and less in immunised children.	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 the discharge from the eyes has stopped unless doctor has diagnosed a non-infectious conjunctivitis	Not excluded
Cryptosporidium infection	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours	Not excluded
Diarrhoea (No organism identified)	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours	Not excluded
Diphtheria	Exclude until medical certificate of recovery is received following at least 2 negative throat swabs, the first swab not less than 24 hours after finishing a course of antibiotics followed by another swab 48 hours later.	Exclude contacts that live in the same house until cleared to return by an appropriate health authority.
German measles See Rubella
Giardtiasis	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours	Not excluded
Giardtiasis	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours	Not excluded
Glandular fever (Mononucleosis, EBV infection)	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Hand, Foot and Mouth disease	Exclude until all blisters have dried.	Not excluded
Haemophilus influenza Type B (HIB)	Exclude until the person has received appropriate antibiotic treatment for at least 4 days.	Not excluded
Head lice (Pediculosis)	Exclusion is NOT necessary if effective treatment is commenced prior to the next day at child care (i.e. the child doesn’t need to be sent home immediately if head lice are detected).	Not excluded
Hepatitis A	Exclude until a medical certificate of recovery is received, but not before seven days after the onset of jaundice.	Not excluded
Hepatitis B	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Hepatitis C	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Herpes simplex (cold sores, fever blisters)	Exclusion is not necessary if the person is developmentally capable of maintaining hygiene practices to minimise the risk of transmission. If the person is unable to comply with these practices they should be excluded until the sores are dry. Sores should be covered by a dressing where possible.	Not excluded
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS)	Exclusion is NOT necessary. If the person is severely immune-compromised, they will be vulnerable to other people’s illnesses.	Not excluded
Hydatid disease	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Impetigo (school sores)	Exclude until appropriate antibiotic treatment has commenced. Any sores on exposed skin should be covered with a watertight dressing.	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 4 days after the onset of the rash	Immunised and immune contacts are not excluded. Non-immunised contacts of a case are to be excluded until 14 days after the first day of appearance of rash in the last case, unless immunised within 72 hours of first contact during the infectious period with the first case. All immune-compromised children should be excluded until 14 days after the first day of appearance of rash in the last case.
Meningitis (bacterial)	Exclude until well and has received appropriate antibiotics	Not excluded
Meningitis (viral)	Exclude until well	Not excluded
Meningococcal infection	Exclude until appropriate antibiotic treatment has been completed	Not excluded
Molluscum contagiosum	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Mumps	Exclude for nine days after onset of swelling	Not excluded
Norovirus	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion or vomiting for 48 hours	Not excluded
Parvovirus infection (slapped cheek syndrome)	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Pertussis See Whooping Cough
Respiratory Syncytial virus	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Ringworm/Tinea	Exclude until the day after appropriate antifungal treatment has commenced	Not excluded
Roseola	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded
Rotavirus infection	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion or vomiting for 24 hours	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 there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours	Not excluded
Scabies	Exclude until the day after appropriate treatment has commenced	Not excluded
Shigella infection	Exclude until there has not been a loose bowel motion for 24 hours	Not excluded
Streptococcal sore throat (including scarlet fever)	Exclude until the person has received antibiotic treatment for at least 24 hours and 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 an appropriate health authority	Not excluded
Typhoid, Paratyphoid	Exclude until medical certificate is produced from appropriate health authority	Not excluded unless considered necessary by public health authorities
Viral gastroenteritis (viral diarrhoea)	Excluded until there has not been a loose bowel motion or vomiting for 24 hours	Not excluded
Warts	Exclusion is NOT necessary	Not excluded