Diphtheria

01. Restrictions - Health Care Facility. (3-17-22) a. A person with oropharyngeal toxigenic diphtheria in a health care facility must be managed under the “Guideline for Isolation Precautions in Hospitals,”. The Department or Health District may withdraw this isolation requirement after two (2) cultures of the nose and two (2) cultures from the throat, taken at least twenty-four (24) hours apart and at least twenty-four (24) hours after the completion of antibiotic therapy, fail to show toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae upon testing by a licensed laboratory. (7-1-26) b. A person with cutaneous toxigenic diphtheria must be placed under contact precautions. The Department or Health District may withdraw these precautions after two (2) cultures from the wound fail to show toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae upon testing by a licensed laboratory. (3-17-22) 02. Restrictions - Contacts. Contacts of a person with toxigenic diphtheria are restricted from working as food employees, working in health care facilities, or from attending or working in daycare facilities or schools until they are determined not to be carriers by means of a nasopharyngeal culture or culture of other site suspected to be infected. These restrictions may be withdrawn by the Department or Health District. (3-17-22) 231. – 249. (RESERVED)