Infection control precautions by disease
From IDWiki
| Disease | Organisms | Type of precautions | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abscess (with significant drainage) | various | Contact | Until drainage controlled | |
| Abscess (no significant drainage) | various | Routine | ||
| Amoebiasis | Entamoeba histolytica | Routine | Rarely transmitted person-to-person | |
| Actinomycosis | Actinomyces | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Anthrax | Bacillus anthracis | Routine | ||
| Anthrax (cutaneous) | Bacillus anthracis | Routine | Contact precautions if significant drainage | |
| Anthrax (pulmonary) | Bacillus anthracis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Arthropod-borne viral encephalitis | Eastern equine encephalitis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| western equine encephalitis | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| Venezuelan equine encephalitis | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| St. Louis encephalitis | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| California encephalitis | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| West Nile virus | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| not otherwise specified | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| Arthropod-borne viral fever | Dengue virus | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Yellow fever virus | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| Colorado tick fever virus | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| not otherwise specified | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| Ascariasis | Ascaris lumbricoides | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Aspergillosis | Aspergillus | Routine | Can consider contact or airborne if large draining infection requiring repeat irrigations | |
| Babesiosis | Babesia microti | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Blastomycosis | Blastomyces dermatitidis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Botulism | Clostridium botulinum | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Botulism (food poisoning) | Clostridium botulinum | Routine | ||
| Bronchiolitis | various | Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Brucellosis | Brucella melitensis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Burn infection | Staphylococcus aureus | Contact | Until drainage stops or is controlled | |
| Candidiasis | Candida | Routine | ||
| Cat-scratch fever | Bartonella henselae | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Cellulitis | various | Routine | ||
| Chancroid | Haemophilus ducreyi | Routine | Sexually transmitted | |
| Chickenpox | Varicella-zoster virus | Refer to Varicella | ||
| Chlamydia pneumoniae | Routine | |||
| Cholera | Vibrio cholerae | Refer to Gastroenteritis | ||
| Clostridium difficile | Clostridium difficile | Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Coccidioidomycosis | Coccidioides immitis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Congenital rubella | Rubella virus | Contact | Until 1 year of age | Routine precautions if nasopharyngeal and urine cultures are repeatedly negative after 3 months of age |
| Conjunctivitis | Adenovirus | Refer to specific syndrome (conjunctivitis) | ||
| Chlamydia trachomatis | Routine | |||
| bacterium, not otherwise specified | Routine | |||
| virus, not otherwise specified | Contact | Duration of illness | Highly contageous | |
| Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease | Prions | Routine | ||
| Croup | various | Refer to Respiratory infections in infants and young children | ||
| Cryptococcosis | Cryptococcus | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Cryptosporidiosis | Cryptosporidium | Refer to Gastroenteritis | ||
| Cystic fibrosis | various | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Cysticercosis | Taenia solium | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Cytomegalovirus | Cytomegalovirus | Routine | ||
| Dengue | Dengue virus | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Diphtheria (cutaneous) | Corynebacterium diphtheriae | Contact | Until completed treatment and cultures negative | Two cultures 24 hours apart |
| Diphtheria (pharyngeal) | Corynebacterium diphtheriae | Droplet | Until completed treatment and cultures negative | Two cultures 24 hours apart |
| Echinococcosis | Echinococcus | Routine | ||
| Encephalitis | Herpes simplex virus | Routine | ||
| Encephalitis or encephalomyelitis | various | Refer to specific organism | ||
| Endometritis | Streptococcus pyogenes | Routine | ||
| Endometritis | various | Routine | ||
| Epiglottitis | Haemophilus influenzae type b | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | |
| Food poisoning | Clostridium botulinum | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Clostridium perfringens | Routine | |||
| Clostridium perfringens | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| Staphylococcus aureus | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| Furunculosis | Staphylococcus aureus | Routine | Consider Contact precautions if uncontrolled drainage | |
| Furunculosis (infants and young children) | Staphylococcus aureus | Contact | Until no longer draining | |
| Gangrene | various | Routine | ||
| Gas gangrene | Clostridium perfringens | Routine | Rarely transmitted person-to-person | |
| Gastroenteritis | Adenovirus | Refer to Gastroenteritis | ||
| Campylobacter | Refer to Gastroenteritis | |||
| Coxsackievirus | Refer to Enterovirus | |||
| Echovirus | Refer to Enterovirus | |||
| Enterovirus (adult) | Routine | |||
| Enterovirus (paediatric) | Contact | Duration of illness | ||
| Escherichia coli | Refer to Gastroenteritis | |||
| Giardia lamblia | Refer to Gastroenteritis | |||
| Norovirus | Contact | 48 hours after resolution of symptoms | ||
| Rotavirus | Contact | Duration of illness | ||
| Shigella | Refer to Gastroenteritis | |||
| Vibrio cholerae | Refer to Gastroenteritis | |||
| Vibrio parahaemolyticus | Refer to Gastroenteritis | |||
| Vibrio vulnificus | Refer to Gastroenteritis | |||
| Yersinia enterocolitica | Refer to Gastroenteritis | |||
| Gastroenteritis (continent) | not otherwise specified | Routine | ||
| Gastroenteritis (diapered or incontinent) | Enterovirus | Contact | Duration of illness | |
| not otherwise specified | Contact | Duration of illness | ||
| Gastritis | Helicobacter pylori | Routine | ||
| Gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum | Neisseria gonorrhoeae | Routine | ||
| Gonorrhea | Neisseria gonorrhoeae | Routine | ||
| Granuloma inguinale | Klebsiella granulomatis | Routine | ||
| Guillain-Barré syndrome | — | Routine | Not an infectious disease | |
| Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome | Hantavirus | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Herpes (disseminated, primary, or severe) | Herpes simplex virus | Contact | Until lesions dry and crusted | |
| Herpes (mucocutaneous recurrent) | Herpes simplex virus | Routine | ||
| Herpes (neonatal) | Herpes simplex virus | Contact | Until lesions dry and crsted | |
| Hookworm | various | Routine | ||
| Histoplasmosis | Histoplasma capsulatum | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| HIV | HIV | Routine | Sexually transmitted | |
| Impetigo | Staphylococcus aureus | Contact | 24 hours of effective therapy | |
| Infectious mononucleosis and other syndromes | Epstein-Barr virus | Routine | ||
| Infectious mononucleosis | Cytomegalovirus | Routine | ||
| Influenza (seasonal) | Influenza virus | Droplet | 7 days after onset or 24 hours asymptomatic (whichever longer) | |
| Influenza (avian) | Influenza virus | |||
| Influenza (pandemic) | Influenza virus | Droplet | ||
| Invasive Group A streptococcal disease | Streptococcus pyogenes | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | |
| Kawasaki syndrome | — | Routine | Not infectious | |
| Legionellosis | Legionella | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Leprosy | Mycobacterium leprae | Routine | ||
| Leptospirosis | Leptospira | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Lice (head) | Pediculus humanus humanus | Contact | Until 24 hours of effective therapy | |
| Lice (body) | Pediculus humanus capitis | Routine | Transmitted through clothing, so consider Contact precautions when undressing patient | |
| Lice (pubic) | Pthirus pubis | Routine | Sexually transmitted | |
| Listeriosis | Listeria | Routine | ||
| Lyme disease | Borrelia burgdorferi | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Lymphocytic choriomeningitis | Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Lymphogranuloma venereum | Chlamydia trachomatis | Routine | ||
| Malaria | Plasmodium | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Measles | Measles virus | Airborne | 4 days after onset of rash | |
| Measles (immunocompromised) | Measles virus | Airborne | Duration of illness | |
| Melioidosis | Burkholderia pseudomallei | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Meningitis | Gram-negative bacterium | Routine | ||
| fungus | Routine | |||
| Haemophilus influenzae type b | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | ||
| Listeria monocytogenes | Routine | |||
| Neisseria meningitidis | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | ||
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | Routine | |||
| Tuberculosis | Routine | Rule out pulmonary disease and draining adenitis | ||
| bacterium, not otherwise specified | Routine | |||
| Meningitis (aseptic) | various | Routine | Contact for infants and young children | |
| Molluscum contagiosum | Molluscum contagiosum virus | Routine | ||
| Monkeypox | Monkeypox virus | Airborne + Contact | Airborne until smallpox ruled out; contact until lesions crusted | |
| Mucormycosis | Mucorales | Routine | ||
| Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) | various (e.g. MRSA, VRE, ESBL) | Contact | Based on local guidelines | |
| Mumps | Mumps virus | Droplet | 5 days after onset of swelling | |
| Necrotizing enterocolitis | various | Routine | ||
| Nocardiosis | Nocardia | Routine | Not transmitted human-to-human | |
| Orf | Orf virus | Routine | ||
| Parvovirus B19 (immunocompromised) | Parvovirus B19 | Droplet | Duration of hospitalization | |
| Parvovirus B19 (transient aplastic crisis) | Parvovirus B19 | Droplet | 7 days | |
| Pertussis | Bordetella pertussis | Droplet | 5 days of effective therapy | Single-patient room preferred; contacts may need post-exposure prophylaxis |
| Pharyngitis (infants and young children) | Streptococcus pyogenes | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | |
| Pinworm | Enterobius vermicularis | Routine | ||
| Plague (bubonic) | Yersinia pestis | Routine | ||
| Plague (pneumonic) | Yersinia pestis | Droplet | 48 hours of effective therapy | Consider prophylaxis in healthcare workers |
| Pneumonia | Adenovirus | Droplet + Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Chlamydia pneumoniae | Routine | |||
| fungus | Routine | |||
| Legionella | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| Mycoplasma pneumoniae | Droplet | Duration of illness | ||
| Neisseria meningitidis | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | ||
| Pneumocystis jiroveci | Routine | |||
| Staphylococcus aureus | Routine | |||
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | Routine | Droplet precautions if nosocomial outbreak | ||
| Streptococcus pyogenes | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | ||
| bacterium, not otherwise specified | Routine | |||
| Pneumonia (adults) | Haemophilus influenzae type b | Routine | ||
| virus, not otherwise specified | Routine | |||
| Pneumonia (children) | Haemophilus influenzae type b | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | |
| Pneumonia (infants) | Chlamydia trachomatis | Routine | ||
| Pneumonia (infants and children) | virus, not otherwise specified | Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Poliomyelitis | Poliovirus | Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Pressure ulcer | various | Routine | Contact precautions if draining | |
| Prion disease | Prions | Routine | ||
| Psittacosis | Chlamydia psittaci | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Q fever | Coxiella burnetii | Routine | ||
| Rabies | Rabies virus | Routine | Very rare person-to-person transmission | |
| Rat-bite fever | Streptobacillus moniliformis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Rat-bite fever | Spirillum minus | Contact | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Relapsing fever | various | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Respiratory infection | Human metapneumovirus | Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Respiratory infections (adults) | not otherwise specified | Routine | ||
| Respiratory infection (infants and young children) | Parainfluenza virus | Contact | Duration of illness | Prolonged shedding in immunocompromised |
| Respiratory infection (infants and children) | not otherwise specified | Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Respiratory infection (infants, young children, and immunocompromised) | Respiratory syncytial virus | Contact | Duration of illness | Immunocompromised patients may have prolonged shedding |
| Reye syndrome | — | Routine | Not an infectious disease | |
| Rheumatic fever | Streptococcus pyogenes | Routine | ||
| Rhinovirus | Rhinovirus | Droplet | Duration of illness | |
| Rickettsioses | Rickettsia | Routine | Not transmitted human-to-human | |
| Rickettsialpox (vesicular) | Rickettsia akari | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Ringworm | various | Routine | ||
| Rocky Mountain spotted fever | Rickettsia rickettsii | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Roseola infantum | Roseolavirus | Routine | ||
| Rubella | Rubella virus | Droplet | 7 days after rash onset | |
| Salmonellosis | Salmonella | Refer to Gastroenteritis | ||
| Scabies | Sarcoptes scabiei | Contact | 24 hours of effective therapy | |
| SARS coronavirus | SARS-CoV | Airborne + Droplet + Contact | 10 days after symptoms resolve | |
| Scalded skin syndrome | Staphylococcus aureus | Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Scarlet fever | Streptococcus pyogenes | Droplet | 24 hours of appropriate therapy | |
| Schistosomiasis | Schistosoma | Routine | ||
| Sepsis | Neisseria meningitidis | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | Contacts may need post-exposure prophylaxis |
| Sepsis (neonatal) | Group B streptococcus | Routine | ||
| Shingles (disseminated or immunocompromised) | Varicella-zoster virus | Airborne + Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Shingles (localized in immunocompetent) | Varicella-zoster virus | Routine | ||
| Smallpox | Smallpox virus | Airborne + Contact | Until all scabs have crusted and separated | |
| Soft tissue infection (major) | Staphylococcus aureus | Contact | Until drainage stops or is controlled | |
| Soft tissue infection (severe) | Streptococcus pyogenes | Droplet + Contact | 24 hours of effective therapy and drainage contained | |
| Soft tissue infection (mild) | Streptococcus pyogenes | Routine | If drainage controlled | |
| Sporotrichosis | Sporothrix schenckii | Routine | ||
| Strongyloidiasis | Strongyloides stercoralis | Routine | ||
| Syphilis | Treponema pallidum pallidum | Routine | ||
| Syphilis (congenital) | Treponema pallidum pallidum | Contact | 24 hours of effective therapy | |
| Tapeworm | Hymenolepis nana | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Taenia solium | Routine | |||
| not otherwise specified | Routine | |||
| Tetanus | Botulinum tetani | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Tinea | fungus | Routine | Rarely transmitted person-to-person | |
| Toxic shock syndrome | Staphylococcus aureus | Routine | ||
| Streptococcus pyogenes | Droplet | 24 hours of effective therapy | ||
| Toxoplasmosis | Toxoplasma gondii | Routine | Generally not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Trachoma | Chlamydia trachomatis | Routine | ||
| Trench mouth | various | Routine | ||
| Trichinosis | Trichinella spiralis | Routine | ||
| Trichomoniasis | Trichomonas vaginalis | Routine | ||
| Tuberculosis (draining lesion) | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Airborne + Contact | Until clinically improving and 3 negative cultures | Rule out pulmonary disease |
| Tuberculosis (meningitis) | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Routine | Rule out pulmonary disease and draining lesions | |
| Tuberculosis (pulmonary or laryngeal) | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Airborne | ||
| Tuberculosis (latent) | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Routine | ||
| Tularemia (draining lesion) | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Tularemia (pulmonary) | Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Typhoid fever | Salmonella enterica | Refer to Gastroenteritis | ||
| Typhus (epidemic/louse-borne) | Rickettsia prowazekii | Routine | ||
| Typhus (murine/flea-borne) | Rickettsia typhi | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | |
| Urinary tract infection including pyelonephritis | various | Routine | ||
| Vaccinia (vaccination site care) | Vaccinia virus | Routine | Vaccinate healthcare workers | |
| Vaccinia (eczema vaccinatum) | Vaccinia virus | Contact | Until lesions are dry and crusted, and scabs separated | |
| Vaccinia (fetal vaccinia) | Vaccinia virus | Contact | Until lesions are dry and crusted, and scabs separated | |
| Vaccinia (generalized vaccinia) | Vaccinia virus | Contact | Until lesions are dry and crusted, and scabs separated | |
| Vaccinia (progressive vaccinia) | Vaccinia virus | Contact | Until lesions are dry and crusted, and scabs separated | |
| Vaccinia (postvaccinia encephalitis) | Vaccinia virus | Routine | ||
| Vaccinia (blepharitis or conjunctivitis) | Vaccinia virus | Contact | Until drainage stops | |
| Vaccinia (iritis or keratitis) | Vaccinia virus | Routine | ||
| Vaccinia (erythema multiforme or SJS) | Vaccinia virus | Routine | Not infectious | |
| Varicella | Varicella-zoster virus | Airborne + Contact | Until lesions dry and crusted | |
| Varicella-zoster (pneumonia in immunocompromised) | Varicella-zoster virus | Airborne + Contact | Duration of illness | |
| Vincent angina | various | Routine | ||
| Viral hemorrhagic fever | Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus | Refer to Viral hemorrhagic fever | ||
| Ebola virus | Refer to Viral hemorrhagic fever | |||
| Lassa fever virus | Refer to Viral hemorrhagic fever | |||
| Marburg virus | Refer to Viral hemorrhagic fever | |||
| various | Droplet + Contact | Duration of illness | ||
| Viral hepatitis | Hepatitis B virus | Routine | ||
| Hepatitis C virus | Routine | |||
| Hepatitis D virus | Routine | |||
| Viral hepatitis (continent) | Hepatitis A virus | Routine | Consider vaccination as post-exposure prophylaxis | |
| Hepatitis E virus | Routine | |||
| Viral hepatitis (diapered or incontinent) | Hepatitis A virus | Contact | <3 years: duration of hospitalization; 3-14 years: 2 weeks after onset; >14 years: 1 week after onset | |
| Hepatitis E virus | Contact | Duration of illness | ||
| Viral hepatitis | Hepatitis G virus | Routine | ||
| Whipworm | Trichuris trichiura | Routine | ||
| Zygomycosis | Routine | Not transmitted person-to-person | ||
| various | Haemophilus influenzae | Refer to disease-specific recommendations | ||
| various | Non-tuberculous mycobacteria | Routine | ||
