Last revised: May 22, 2025
Reporting increase in illness to Ottawa Public Health
Schools should continue to report the following to Ottawa Public Health using the Notification of Increase in Illness Intake Form in any of the following situations:
- When there is an increase in absenteeism above what the school would typically experience, and the absences are not perceived to be linked to other factors such as holidays; OR
- When there are three (3) or more cases of gastrointestinal illness (e.g. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) within a class or the school in a three (3)-day period, even if cases occurred at home; OR
- When there are one or more case(s) of a reportable disease in the school setting as per the Guidelines for Communicable Disease and Other Childhood Health Issues for Schools and Child Care Centres.
Notification of Increase in Illness Intake Form
Please complete the form to the best of your ability. If you are having difficulty completing or submitting this form, please contact OPH at 613-580-2424, ext. 26325, Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. On evenings, weekends, or holidays, call 3-1-1 and ask to speak to the public health inspector on-call.
Do not share any personal health information as it is not a secure electronic system; this includes names, dates of birth, test results, and health card numbers.
Important information for schools
What are outbreaks? |
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Respiratory outbreaksA respiratory outbreak is an increase in respiratory illness among a group of people at the same time and place. Respiratory illnesses can be caused by bacteria or viruses that affect the respiratory system (e.g., nose, throat, and lungs). Symptoms of a respiratory illness include fever, cough, runny nose, congestion, sneezing, sore throat, and difficulty swallowing. Other symptoms may include headache, sore muscles, fatigue, poor appetite, and irritability. COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are examples of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses. Respiratory illnesses can spread:
Gastrointestinal outbreaksEnteric outbreaks (or gastroenteritis outbreaks) is a sudden onset of gastrointestinal illness and may occur in schools throughout the year. Gastrointestinal illness (GI) is caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites leading to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. GI illnesses can spread:
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IPAC measures during outbreaks or increases in illness |
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Schools follow infection prevention and control (IPAC) measures as part of their daily operations. During an outbreak, some measures need to be adjusted or enhanced. The outbreak control measures outline the measures that should be enhanced or implemented to prevent the spread of illness. Please refer to OPH's Outbreak Control Measures for Institutions, Congregate Living Settings, Child Care Centres and Schools for guidance of control measures based on your setting. |
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Sample communication during outbreaks or increases in illness |
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It is recommended to share communication with the school community (staff and families) when there is an outbreak or increase in absences due to illness to promote the public health measures that can reduce the spread of illness.
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Specimen kits and collection |
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Collecting stool samples will tell us which organism or germ is making people sick. This will help ensure the right measures are put in place to stop and prevent more people from getting sick. Only ill students or staff may be asked to collect a stool sample. Kits are not for parents or other household members. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea can be symptoms of COVID-19, which continues to circulate in the community. It is highly recommended that individuals who are experiencing symptoms complete both a Rapid Antigen Test and a stool sample.
How to Collect a Stool Sample Step 1: Get the kit Get a stool sample kit from the school if you have had GI symptoms within the last 48 hours. The kit should include two sterile containers. The container with the WHITE cap is empty and will test for viruses. The container with the GREEN cap has a red liquid called transport medium and will test for bacteria. DO NOT drink the red liquid! You will put a stool sample into both containers using the individual lids of the containers that have a scoop on the inside.
Step 2: Label the sample containers and fill in the requisition form. ***This step is very important. If the label and/or form are missing information, or is illegible, or filled out incorrectly, the lab will not test the sample.
Step 3: Collect the stool sample Do not allow the stool to come in contact with the toilet water. If the stool touches the toilet water, it is no longer an acceptable sample. If blood or mucus is present in the stool, always take a sample from this part of the stool 1. Adults and toilet trained children can defecate into a clean container (i.e. a disposable plate). TIP: Urinate first if needed. Children who are not toilet trained, the stool sample can be taken from the soiled diaper or directly from the child's training "potty." 2. Using the individual "scoop" attached to lid of each container, transfer stool into the corresponding sterile container. Fill the white cap container first.
3. Place the General Test Requisition form in the small outer pocket of the plastic biohazard bag. DO NOT place the form in the inner pocket where the sample containers are. Place the biohazard bag into the brown paper bag and refrigerate the sample(s) immediately after collection. 4. Stool samples should be placed on the bottom shelf of a fridge that does NOT contain food.
5. Perform hand hygiene. If hands are visibly soiled, use soap and water. 6. Call your school for stool sample pick-up and delivery to the Public Health Laboratory located in Ottawa. The deadline for same-day pick up is Monday to Friday before 3 pm.
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Environmental cleaning and disinfection in child care centres and schools | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shared items and high touch surfaces can be sources for spread of infection, especially in child care settings and schools. Such surfaces may include door knobs, taps, handrails, phones, computer keyboards, elevator buttons, countertops, as well as shared sports equipment or toys. These surfaces and items can easily become contaminated by viruses or bacteria which can spread from one person to another. Developing policies and procedures for cleaning and disinfection is important to prevent the spread of infections in your setting or school. CleaningCleaning is the physical action of removing debris from a surface. Cleaning with soap or detergent, and water, will remove organic material such as food, body fluids, fecal matter, or soil from surfaces. Residue from the soap or detergent must be rinsed off prior to disinfection to prevent neutralization of some disinfectants. DisinfectionDisinfection must occur after cleaning. Disinfection inactivates or kills microorganisms (germs) that may be present on surfaces and that cleaning does not remove.
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Signage, posters and factsheets |
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