NAC441A.635. Plague.

     1. The health authority shall investigate each report of a case having plague or suspected case considered to have plague to confirm the diagnosis, to determine the extent of any outbreak, to determine the source of infection and to determine if there has been person-to-person transmission of the disease.

     2. If a case having plague has pulmonary involvement, the health authority shall immediately identify and notify any contacts of the case and shall place them under surveillance for 7 days and advise them of antimicrobial prophylaxis. Any contact who declines antimicrobial prophylaxis must be placed in strict isolation with careful surveillance for 7 days.

     3. If a case having pneumonic plague is in a medical facility, the medical facility shall provide care to the case in accordance with strict isolation or other appropriate disease specific precautions. If a case having bubonic plague is in a medical facility, the medical facility shall provide care to the case in accordance with drainage and secretion precautions or other appropriate disease specific precautions. If a case having septicemic plague is in a medical facility, the medical facility shall provide care to the case in accordance with universal precautions.

     4. If zoonotic plague is suspected by the health authority, he or she shall conduct an environmental investigation to determine the animal source of the plague and shall take such measures as are necessary to control the suspected plague vectors.

     5. The health authority shall notify the State Health Officer if the source of infection is known or suspected to be related to an act of intentional transmission or biological terrorism.

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