The Health Unit provides resources to teachers and other professionals working with school-aged children.

These resources will provide you with guidance when a child in your school has or may have an infectious or reportable disease.  Information includes: signs and symptoms, how to prevent the spread, when to exclude, and when to report to the health unit.  

Important note: These resources are for information only, diagnosis of an infection must be made by a health care provider.

Duty to Report a Disease of Public Health Significance

If a principal of a school or an operator of an institution, such as a child care centre, has knowledge of, or suspects that a child in their school or child care centre has a reportable disease listed on the diseases of public health significance list, the local health unit must be informed in accordance with the Health Protection and Promotion Act (R.S.O. 1990, C.7; Part IV).

To report a reportable disease to the health unit please call 705-474-1400 or 1-800-563-2808 ext. 5229 or fax the diseases of public health significance notification form to 705-474-2809.

Exclusion guidelines - here you will find fact sheets which detail signs and symptoms and exclusion recommendations for reportable and non-reportable diseases.

Use the Chickenpox - Daily Reporting form to report new cases of chickenpox (varicella).

Increased School Absenteeism

When ten percent or more of the total school population (including staff) are absent due to illness the Communicable Disease Control program is to be notified by contacting 705-474-1400 or 1-800-563-2808 ext. 5229.

Questions to consider:

• When did you first notice the increased rate of absenteeism?  Was it a sudden or gradual increase?
• What is your usual absenteeism rate?
• What is the total population of students and staff at your school?
• What is the population of each affected grade?
• How many students and staff are absent from school today?
• What are the main symptoms experienced by the ill students and staff?
• Have you had any recent school activities/events (i.e., pizza day, class trip, exposure to animals/pets)?
• Has any ill student/staff received a diagnosis from a health care provider or been hospitalized?

A CDC staff member will speak with your school daily to monitor the situation and discuss infection control measures to limit the spread of illness.  If the increased absenteeism is due to a specific disease, specific infection control measures/recommendation will be shared with your school.  The health unit will continue to monitor the situation until the absenteeism rate falls below five percent or returns to your normal absenteeism rate.

School Absenteeism Surveillance The School Absenteeism Surveillance is a chart illustrates areas within our district where a school has reported experiencing an absenteeism rate of greater than or equal to 10% with influenza-like illness, respiratory or enteric illness. Once the absenteeism rate returns to normal or below 5% the data is removed from the chart.