Reporting Diseases of Public Health Significance
School principals are legally required to report suspect or confirmed Diseases of Public Health Significance (English/French) to their local health unit. This list includes such diseases as chickenpox, measles, food poisoning, tuberculosis, and others. Individual cases of influenza and COVID-19 do not need to be reported to the health unit.
If you believe that a student has or may have one of these diseases (other than influenza or COVID-19), please report it to us as soon as possible using the form below:
When investigating a Disease of Public Health Significance, we may contact the school principal (or designate) to request additional information to inform our assessment. If the disease is confirmed, we will conduct further assessment to determine the risk to others.
Notifying Staff, Students and families
If we identify that there is a risk to other members of the school community, we will work with the school principal and the appropriate school board to ensure that students, families, and school employees are properly notified.
Schools are asked not to communicate information about infectious diseases without first reviewing the information with us. This helps to ensure that the public receives accurate information and follow-up recommendations (e.g. to seek medical attention) for protecting themselves and their families.
Absenteeism Reporting
Should a school absence rate increase above what the school would typically experience, and the absences are not perceived to be linked to other factors (e.g.: holidays), it is recommended that school principals follow their school board’s established processes for notifying the health unit.
Infection Prevention and Control
Schools are encouraged to follow infection prevention and control recommendations, in order to help prevent the spread of illness.
Additional Resources
Contact Us
For more information or support, contact your local School Health public health nurse. You can also contact the health unit at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 or complete our secure online Request for Service Form.
Updated: September 8, 2026
