Kansas Administrative Regulation No. 28-1-1

1000 SW Jackson Street, Suite 210
Topeka, KS 66612
Phone: 1-877-427-7317
Fax: 1-877-427-7318
Email: EpiHotline@kdhe.state.ks.us

28-1-1 Definitions. (a) ``Carrier'' means an infected person (or animal) that harbors a specific infectious agent in the absence of discernible clinical disease and serves as a potential source of infection for humans.

(b) ``Chemoprophylaxis'' means the administration of a chemical, including antibiotics, to prevent the development of an infection or the progression of an infection to active manifest disease.

(c) ``Infectious or contagious (communicable) disease'' means a disease of humans or animals resulting from an infection or an illness due to a specific agent or its toxic products which arises through transmission of that agent or its products from a reservoir to a susceptible host, either directly, or indirectly.

(d) ``Communicable period'' means the time or times during which an infectious agent may be transferred directly or indirectly from an infected person to another person, from an infected animal to a person, or from an infected person to an animal, including arthropods.

(e) ``Contact'' means a person or animal that has been in association with an infected person or animal or a contaminated environment so as to have had opportunity to acquire the infection.

(f) ``Contamination'' means the presence of an infectious agent on a body surface, or on or in clothes, bedding, toys, surgical instruments or dressings, or other inanimate articles or substances including water, milk, and food.

(g) ``Disinfection'' means killing of infectious agents outside the body by chemical or physical means. Concurrent disinfection is the application of disinfective measures as soon as possible after the discharge of infectious material from the body of an infected person, or after the soiling of articles with this infectious discharge, all personal contact with these discharges or articles being minimized before that disinfection. Terminal disinfection is the application of disinfective measures after an infected person or animal has ceased to be a source of infection, has been removed from a specific site, or has died and been removed.

(h) ``Disease'' means a definite morbid process having a characteristic train of symptoms.

(i) ``Epidemic (or outbreak)'' means the occurrence in a community or region of cases of an illness clearly in excess of normal expectancy and derived from a common or propagated source.

(j) ``Incubation period'' means the time interval between exposure to an infectious agent and appearance of the first sign or symptom of the disease in question.

(k) ``Infection'' means the entry and development or multiplication of an infectious agent in the body of humans or animals. Infection is not synonymous with infectious disease; the result may be inapparent or manifest.

(l) ``Infectious agent'' means an organism, chiefly a microorganism but including helminthes, that is capable of producing infection or infectious disease.

(m) ``Infestation'' means, for persons or animals, the lodgement, development and reproduction of arthropods on the surface of the body or in clothing.

(n) ``Isolation'' means the separation, for the period of communicability, of infected persons or animals from others, in places and under conditions that prevent the direct or indirect conveyance of the infectious agents from those infected to those who are susceptible or who may spread the agent to others.

(1) When ``Respiratory isolation'' is specified, it shall consist of a private room with door kept closed, handwashing upon entering and leaving the room, and disinfection of articles contaminated with patient secretions. Persons susceptible to the specific disease must wear masks.

(2) ``Enteric precautions'' shall consist of handwashing upon entering and leaving the patient room, wearing of gloves by all persons having direct contact with the patient or with articles contaminated with fecal material, and wearing of gowns by all persons having direct contact with the patient. Articles contaminated with the patient's urine or feces shall be disinfected or discarded; masks are not necessary.

(3) ``Blood precautions'' shall consist of use of disposable needles and syringes, disposal of used needles and syringes by incineration, and decontamination and sterilization of all non-disposable equipment which is contaminated by blood.

(o) ``Local health officer'' means the person appointed as local health officer by the board of county commissioners in accordance with K.S.A. 65-201.

(p) ``Nosocomial infection'' means an infection originating in a medical facility. This includes infections acquired in the hospital but appearing after discharge; it also includes infections among staff.

(q) ``Quarantine'' means the limitation of freedom of movement of well persons or domestic animals that have been exposed to a communicable disease. (Authorized by and implementing K.S.A. 1981 Supp. 65-101; effective May 1, 1982.)

Editor's Note:

Former regulation 28-1-1 was revoked May 1, 1982 and the number reassigned.