Preventing the Spread of Infectious

Diseases
Decrease your risk of infecting yourself or others:

Wash your hands often. This is especially important before and after preparing food, before
eating and after using the toilet.
Get vaccinated. Immunization can drastically reduce your chances of contracting many
diseases. Keep your recommended vaccinations up-to-date.
Use antibiotics sensibly. Take antibiotics only when prescribed. Unless otherwise directed, or
unless you are allergic to them, take all prescribed doses of your antibiotic, even if you begin to
feel better before you have completed the medication.
Stay at home if you have signs and symptoms of an infection. Don't go to work or class if
you're vomiting, have diarrhea or are running a fever.
Be smart about food preparation. Keep counters and other kitchen surfaces clean when
preparing meals. In addition, promptly refrigerate leftovers. Don't let cooked foods remain at room
temperature for an extended period of time.
Disinfect the 'hot zones' in your residence. These include the kitchen and bathroom two
rooms that can have a high concentration of bacteria and other infectious agents.
Practice safer sex. Use condoms. Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and
have your partner get tested or, abstain altogether.
Don't share personal items. Use your own toothbrush, comb or razor blade. Avoid sharing
drinking glasses or dining utensils.
Travel wisely. Don't fly when you're ill. With so many people confined to such a small area,
you may infect other passengers in the plane. And your trip won't be comfortable, either.
Depending on where your travels take you, talk to your doctor about any special immunizations
you may need.

You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold:

Wash your hands often with soap and water

Wash them for 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If soap and water are not
available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Viruses that cause colds can live on your hands,
and regular handwashing can help protect you from getting sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
Viruses that cause colds can enter your body this way and make you sick.

Stay away from people who are sick

Sick people can spread viruses that cause the common cold through close contact with others.

Hand-washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of common infections, including strep
throat. Its especially helpful when youre spending time in places where harmful germs are more
common, such as hospitals, nursing homes, child care centers, and schools.
Wash your hands regularly throughout the day, especially:

before you prepare or eat food

before you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth

before and after you spend time with someone who is ill

after you use the bathroom or change a diaper

after you sneeze, cough, or blow your nose

Preventing Viral Gastroenteritis

Wash your hands often, especially after using the bathroom and before food
preparation. If necessary, use hand sanitizer until you can access soap and water.

If someone in your household is sick, do not share kitchen utensils, plates, or

towels.

Do not eat raw or undercooked foods.

Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.

Take special precautions to avoid contaminated water and food when traveling.
Avoid ice cubes and use bottled water whenever possible.

There are two vaccines for rotavirus. These are generally started when an infant is
two months old. Ask your doctor if you should have your infant vaccinated.

Preventing the spread of pink eye

Practice good hygiene to control the spread of pink eye. For instance:

Don't touch your eyes with your hands.

Wash your hands often.

Use only clean towels and washcloths.

Don't share towels or washcloths.

Change your pillowcases often.

Avoid swimming in a swimming pool.

Throw away your eye cosmetics, such as mascara.

Don't share eye cosmetics or personal eye care items.

Use any antibiotics for the complete period prescribed

Preventing Gonorrhea
There is a lot you can do to prevent getting gonorrhea. Abstain from vaginal and anal intercourse and
oral sex. If you choose to have vaginal or anal intercourse, use female or latex condoms every time.
Giving or getting gonorrhea during oral sex is rare, but you can further reduce your risk by using
condoms or latex or plastic barriers.

Prevention of 5th disease

There is no vaccine or medicine that can prevent parvovirus B19 infection. You can reduce your
chance of being infected or infecting others by

washing your hands often with soap and water

covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze

not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth

avoiding close contact with people who are sick

staying home when you are sick

Preventing hepatitis

Hepatitis A
Immunization of children (1-18 years of age) consists of two or three doses of the vaccine. Adults
need a booster dose six to 12 months following the initial dose of vaccine. The vaccine is thought to
be effective for 1520 years or more.
Hepatitis B

Safe and effective vaccines provide protection against hepatitis B for 15 years and possibly much
longer. Currently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all newborns and
individuals up to 18 years of age and adult participating at risk of infection be vaccinated. Three
injections over a six to 12 month period are required to provide full protection.

In General:
o
Wash your hands after going to the bathroom and before fixing food or eating.
o
Use latex condoms, which may lower the risk of transmission.
o
Avoid tap water when traveling to certain countries or regions. Ask your doctor about
risks before you travel or call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 877-FYI-TRIP.
o
Don't share drug needles.
o
Don't share personal itemssuch as toothbrushes, razors and nail clipperswith an
infected person.

preventing whooping cough

The best way to prevent whooping cough is with the pertussis vaccine, which doctors often give in
combination with vaccines against two other serious diseases diphtheria and tetanus. Doctors
recommend beginning vaccination during infancy.
The vaccine consists of a series of five injections, typically given to children at these ages:

2 months

4 months

6 months

15 to 18 months

4 to 6 years

Preventing Rotavirus

Exclude people with rotavirus from childcare, preschool, school and work until there has
been no vomiting or diarrhoea for at least 24 hours. If working as a food handler in a food

business, the exclusion period should be until there has been no diarrhoea or vomiting for
48 hours.

Infants, children and adults with rotavirus infection should not swim until there has been no
diarrhoea for 24 hours.
The rotavirus vaccine provides good protection against the most common types of
rotavirus. Rotavirus vaccine is recommended for all infants. The first dose of rotavirus
vaccine, in combination with other vaccines, is now recommended to be given at 6 weeks
of age. It is important for immunisation providers and parents to remember that there are
upper age limits for the doses of vaccine. For more information see the rotavirus
vaccine page.
Follow good hand washing and keeping areas clean procedures including objects
(including toys) that may be shared.
Babies and small children without diarrhoea who are not toilet trained should wear tight
fitting waterproof pants or swimming nappies in swimming pools and changed regularly in
the change room. When faecal accidents occur, swimming pools should be properly
disinfected.

Prevention of HIV/AIDS
There's no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for AIDS. But it's possible to protect yourself
and others from infection. That means educating yourself about HIV and avoiding any behavior that
allows HIV-infected fluids blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk into your body.
To help prevent the spread of HIV:

Use a new condom every time you have sex. If you don't know the HIV status of your
partner, use a new condom every time you have anal or vaginal sex. Women can use a female
condom.
Use only water-based lubricants. Oil-based lubricants can weaken condoms and cause them to
break. During oral sex use a nonlubricated, cut-open condom or a dental dam a piece of
medical-grade latex.

Consider the drug Truvada. Use of the combination drug emtricitabine-tenofovir (Truvada)
can reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection in those who are at high risk. Truvada
is also used as an HIV treatment along with other medications.
When used to help prevent HIV infection, Truvada is only appropriate if your doctor is certain
you don't already have an HIV infection. Your doctor should also test for hepatitis B infection. If
you have hepatitis B, your doctor should test your kidney function before prescribing Truvada.
Truvada must be taken daily, exactly as prescribed. Truvada should only be used along with
other prevention strategies, such as condom use every time you have sex, as it doesn't protect

against other sexually transmitted infections, and it can't provide complete protection against
HIV transmission. If you're interested in Truvada, talk with your doctor about the potential risks
and benefits of the drug.

Tell your sexual partners if you have HIV. It's important to tell anyone with whom you've had
sex that you're HIV-positive. Your partners need to be tested and to receive medical care if they
have the virus. They also need to know their HIV status so that they don't infect others.

Use a clean needle. If you use a needle to inject drugs, make sure it's sterile and don't share
it. Take advantage of needle-exchange programs in your community and consider seeking help
for your drug use.

If you're pregnant, get medical care right away. If you're HIV-positive, you may pass the
infection to your baby. But if you receive treatment during pregnancy, you can cut your baby's
risk significantly.

Consider male circumcision. There's evidence that male circumcision can help reduce a
man's risk of acquiring HIV.

How can Ebola be prevented?

There is currently no licensed vaccine or treatment for Ebola..Contact with infected people
Avoid direct contact with the bodily fluids of people with Ebola or unknown illnesses, including:

urine

blood

saliva

vomit

semen

breast milk

vaginal fluid

You should also avoid direct contact with:

bodies of people who have died of Ebola or unknown illnesses

medical equipment (like needles) contaminated with blood or bodily fluids

Preventing TB
If you test positive for latent TB infection, your doctor may advise you to take medications to reduce
your risk of developing active tuberculosis. The only type of tuberculosis that is contagious is the
active variety, when it affects the lungs. So if you can prevent your latent tuberculosis from becoming
active, you won't transmit tuberculosis to anyone else.

Preventing Measles
If someone in your household has measles, take these precautions to protect vulnerable family and
friends:

Isolation. Because measles is highly contagious from about four days before to four days after
the rash breaks out, people with measles shouldn't return to activities in which they interact with
other people during this period.
It may also be necessary to keep non immunized people siblings, for example away from
the infected person.

Vaccinate. Be sure that anyone who's at risk of getting the measles who hasn't been fully
vaccinated receives the measles vaccine as soon as possible. This includes anyone born after
1957 who hasn't been vaccinated, as well as infants older than 6 months

PREVENTING RABIES
Vaccination
People do not need to be vaccinated for rabies unless they are exposed to the virus. The best
protection for people against rabies is to get their pets vaccinated.
Precautions

Avoid wild animals.

Avoid any animal with symptoms of rabies.

Do not approach or touch unfamiliar animals.

Block any openings into your house that an animal may get in through.

Keep tamper-proof lids on outside garbage cans so animals are not attracted to your property.

Preventing Zika virus

No vaccine exists to prevent Zika.

Prevent Zika by avoiding mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite during the day and night.

Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus also spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.

Zika can be passed through sex from a person who has Zika to his or her sex
partners. Condoms can reduce the chance of getting Zika from sex. Condoms include male and
female condoms.

Local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission has been reported in two areas of Miami. Learn
more.