Exposure Notices
Report a Disease or Outbreak
To report a disease or outbreak to Sonoma County Public Health, call (707) 565-4567. All outbreaks must be reported.
Disease |
Send an Exposure Notice for a single case? |
Watch for Symptoms For: |
English Template |
Spanish Template |
When to Report to Public Health |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chickenpox (Varicella) |
Yes |
21 days |
Report outbreaks only: ≥3 related cases. |
||
Flu (Seasonal) |
For an outbreak or widespread illness |
4 days |
Report outbreaks and single cases only if child is hospitalized in ICU or dies. |
||
Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease |
Yes |
5 days |
Report single case only if child is hospitalized or ≥5 related cases. |
||
Measles |
Yes |
21 days |
Report immediately by phone |
||
Meningococcal |
Yes |
10 days |
Report immediately by phone |
||
Mumps |
Yes |
25 days |
Report single case |
||
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) |
Yes |
8 days |
Report only if there is a death in child <5 years old |
||
Strep throat/Scarlet Fever |
Yes |
10 days |
Clusters only, defined as: ≥5 cases strep throat |
||
Viral Gastroenteritis or Norovirus |
Yes for >2 related cases w/in 48 hours |
72 hours |
Report outbreaks only: ≥ 2 related cases. |
||
Viral Meningitis |
Yes |
Varies |
Report single case |
||
Whooping Cough/Pertussis |
Yes |
21 days |
Report single case |
FAQs for Schools and Child Care
When can sick school staff return to school?
For gastrointestinal illness (such as amebiasis, campylobacter, E. coli, giardia, hepatitis A, norovirus, salmonella):
- If the staff is a food handler OR works in child care then follow the return to school/child care guidelines for each illness above.
- If the staff is NOT a food handler or does NOT work in child care then he or she may return to school 24-48 hours after symptoms have stopped and fever is gone without the use of medications that reduce fever.
For respiratory illness, staff may return 24 hours after fever is gone without the use of medications that reduce fever AND when cough is manageable.
Can a school or child care create a more or less restrictive exclusion policy?
The school may create a more restrictive policy, but not a less restrictive policy, than the Public Health Department's recommendation.
What if a student or staff's medical provider recommends a different restriction period?
The student or staff's medical provider may recommend a longer restriction period, but not a shorter period, than the Public Health Department's recommendation. In the case that a medical provider recommends a longer restriction period, that will take precedence over the Public Health Department's recommendation.
Prevention of Communicable Diseases
Flu: Keep Our School Healthy (English) / Mantenga Nuetra Escuela Saludable (En español)
Flu/COVID/Respiratory Illness Toolkits and Vaccine Info Multilingual: Toolkits
Germ-Free Zone Multilingual: Germ-Free Zone
Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines: Superheroes Need Vaccine