Health departments should be able to demonstrate that their regulations prevent disease and are reasonable responses to the health threats posed by specific diseases. In Florida, as in many states, daycare centers (DCCs) are considered "sensitive" locations that enhance disease transmission. State administrative rules require that children with Salmonella infections be excluded from daycares until they can demonstrate, by submitting two negative stool samples, that they are free of Salmonella. We estimated the number of Florida children who attend licensed daycares and used morbidity date from the Florida Department of Health to calculate the 1999 incidence of salmonellosis among preschoolers by daycare attendance. The incidence rates were 6 per 10,000 among children who attended DCCs, and 18 per 10,000 among children who did not attend DCCs (risk ratio=0.33, 95% confidence interval=0.29, 0.38). Salmonellosis does not appear to be an important problem among children attending DCC. Regulations that require the exclusion of children with salmonellosis may place an undue burden on families and local health departments.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Child Care, Infectious Diseases
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.