Exposure Notices

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Report a Disease or Outbreak

To report a disease or outbreak to Sonoma County Public Health, call (707) 565-4567. All outbreaks must be reported.

Disease	Send an Exposure Notice for a single case?	Watch for Symptoms For:	English Template	Spanish Template	When to Report to Public Health
Chickenpox (Varicella)	Yes	21 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Report outbreaks only: ≥3 related cases.
Flu (Seasonal)	For an outbreak or widespread illness	4 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Report outbreaks and single cases only if child is hospitalized in ICU or dies. Flu Toolkit »
Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease	Yes	5 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Report single case only if child is hospitalized or ≥5 related cases.
Measles	Yes	21 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Report immediately by phone
Meningococcal (Neisseria meningitidis)	Yes	10 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Report immediately by phone
Mumps	Yes	25 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Report single case
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)	Yes	8 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Report only if there is a death in child <5 years old
Strep throat/Scarlet Fever	Yes	10 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Clusters only, defined as: ≥5 cases strep throat ≥3 cases scarlet fever
Viral Gastroenteritis or Norovirus	Yes for >2 related cases w/in 48 hours	72 hours	English Template	Spanish Template	Report outbreaks only: ≥ 2 related cases. Norovirus Toolkit Schools »
Viral Meningitis	Yes	Varies	English Template	Spanish Template	Report single case
Whooping Cough/Pertussis	Yes	21 days	English Template	Spanish Template	Report single case

FAQs for Schools and Child Care

When can sick school staff return to school?

For gastrointestinal illness (such as amebiasis, campylobacter, E. coli, giardia, hepatitis A, norovirus, salmonella):

If the staff is a food handler OR works in child care then follow the return to school/child care guidelines for each illness above.
If the staff is NOT a food handler or does NOT work in child care then he or she may return to school 24-48 hours after symptoms have stopped and fever is gone without the use of medications that reduce fever.

For respiratory illness, staff may return 24 hours after fever is gone without the use of medications that reduce fever AND when cough is manageable.

Can a school or child care create a more or less restrictive exclusion policy?

The school may create a more restrictive policy, but not a less restrictive policy, than the Public Health Department's recommendation.

What if a student or staff's medical provider recommends a different restriction period?

The student or staff's medical provider may recommend a longer restriction period, but not a shorter period, than the Public Health Department's recommendation. In the case that a medical provider recommends a longer restriction period, that will take precedence over the Public Health Department's recommendation.

Prevention of Communicable Diseases

Flu: Keep Our School Healthy (English) / Mantenga Nuetra Escuela Saludable (En español)

Flu/COVID/Respiratory Illness Toolkits and Vaccine Info Multilingual: Toolkits

Germ-Free Zone Multilingual: Germ-Free Zone

Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines: Superheroes Need Vaccine