The most prevalent, reportable communicable diseases found in Job Corps students are: outbreaks of respiratory infections (e.g., influenza) and individual cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, hepatitis, meningitis, and tuberculosis. In the event that cases of serious communicable diseases occur on center, the Center Director will:

• Arrange for the immediate examination by a physician or qualified health professional of all affected center personnel and students.
• Assure that all cases are handled in accordance with current CDC recommendations and guidelines.

Prevention of epidemics depends on quick and appropriate responses to the first case diagnosed.

• Reporting Procedures
• Selected Communicable Diseases

Reporting Procedures

The guidelines in this section are required for use by each center for the control and treatment of cases of communicable diseases occurring on center. The guidelines have been prepared in conjunction with recommendations from CDC and those established in the latest edition of the American Public Health Association publication, Control of Communicable Diseases in Man. It must be emphasized that these are only general guidelines and that some situations may require a somewhat different approach.

The Center Director must immediately report significant medical incidents to the National Office of Job Corps, with an information copy to the Regional Office [see PRH-5, Section 5.5]. Significant medical incidents include a severe reaction to the administration of an immunization, or any outbreak or epidemic of an infectious disease, such as hepatitis, food poisoning, influenza, or scarlet fever. In addition, all suspected or confirmed cases of communicable disease will be reported to the state/local health department, when applicable.

Suspected or Confirmed Cases of Communicable Disease to be Reported to State/Local Health Department

• Botulism
• Lyme Disease
• Chicken Pox
• Diphtheria
• German Measles (Rubella)
• Hepatitis (A, B, C)
• HIV Infection/AIDS
• Measles (Rubeola)
• Meningitis
• Mumps
• Poliomyelitis
• Tetanus
• Tuberculosis
• Rabies
• Syphillis (Primary/Secondary¹⁰)

Each State requires that specific diseases be reported. Centers should establish working relationships with their State or local health department and report required information to appropriate departments.

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Selected Communicable Diseases

The following tables provide brief descriptions of several frequently occurring communicable diseases in Job Corps. Guidelines for management of cases and contacts are provided. For a more detailed discussion of these and other communicable diseases, refer to Control of Communicable Diseases Manual¹¹.

• Hepatitis A (HAV)
• Hepatitis B (HBV)
• Herpes Simplex (HSV) (Human Herpes Virus 1 and 2)
• Chlamydial Infections (Chlamydia Trachomatis)
• Gonorrhea
• Syphilis
• Lyme Disease

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¹⁰ Centers should report primary or secondary syphilis clinically diagnosed by the center physician. Do not report positive laboratory test results alone.

¹¹ Information in the following tables has been abstracted from Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, 16th Edition, 1995.