NAC441A.535. Giardiasis.

     1. The health authority shall investigate each report of a case having giardiasis to confirm the diagnosis, to identify any contacts and the source of infection, to determine if the case is employed in a sensitive occupation or is a child attending a child care facility and to determine if there is a household contact who is employed in a sensitive occupation.

     2. A person excreting Giardia lamblia shall not work in a sensitive occupation until authorized to do so by the health authority. The health authority may authorize the case to work in a sensitive occupation if:

     (a) Three fecal specimens, collected from the case at least 24 hours apart and at least 48 hours after cessation of antiparasitic therapy, fail to show Giardia lamblia organisms upon testing by a medical laboratory or the case receives a negative result on an antigen test that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services for the detection of Giardia lamblia; or

     (b) The case is asymptomatic and there is no indication of poor personal hygiene.

     3. A symptomatic contact residing in the same household as a case shall not work in a sensitive occupation until at least one fecal specimen has been submitted for examination. If the specimen shows Giardia lamblia upon testing by a medical laboratory, the contact shall be considered a case subject to the provisions of this section.

     4. The health authority shall instruct a person excreting Giardia lamblia of the need and proper method of hand washing after defecation.

     5. Unless authorized to do so by a health authority, an infant or child who has diarrhea and a positive fecal examination for Giardia lamblia shall not attend a child care facility unless antiparasitic therapy has been initiated and the diarrhea has resolved for more than 24 hours.

     6. The health authority may prohibit an asymptomatic infant or child who is excreting Giardia lamblia cysts from attending a child care facility if the health authority considers such exclusion necessary in order to stop transmission of the communicable disease within the child care facility.

     7. The health authority shall instruct a child care facility where an infant or child who is excreting Giardia lamblia cysts is attending of the need and proper method of hand washing and other practices for the control of infection which prevent the transmission of giardiasis.

     8. If a case having Giardia lamblia is in a medical facility, the medical facility shall provide care to the case in accordance with enteric precautions or other appropriate disease specific precautions.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Health, eff. 1-24-92; A by R087-08, 1-13-2011)