Effective 28 Aug 2013

199.170. Definitions. — The following terms, as used in sections 199.170 to 199.350, mean:

(1) "Active tuberculosis", tuberculosis disease caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that is demonstrated to be contagious by clinical, bacteriological, or radiological evidence. Tuberculosis is considered active until cured;

(2) "Cure" or "treatment to cure", the completion of a recommended course of therapy as defined in subdivision (11) of this section and as determined by the attending physician in conjunction with the local public health authority or the department of health and senior services;

(3) "Department", the department of health and senior services;

(4) "Directly observed therapy" or "DOT", a strategy in which a health care provider or other trained person watches a patient swallow each dose of prescribed antituberculosis medication;

(5) "Facility", any hospital licensed under chapter 197, any public nonlicensed hospital, any long-term care facility licensed under chapter 198, any health care institution, any correctional or detention facility, or any mental health facility approved by the local public health authority or the department;

(6) "Immediate threat", a rebuttable presumption that a person has active tuberculosis and:

(a) Is not taking medications as prescribed;

(b) Is not following the recommendations of the treating physician, local public health authority, or the department;

(c) Is not seeking treatment for signs and symptoms compatible with tuberculosis; or

(d) Evidences a disregard for the health of the public;

(7) "Isolation", the physical separation in a single-occupancy room to isolate persons with suspected or confirmed infectious tuberculosis disease. An isolation should provide negative pressure in the room, an airflow rate of six to twelve air changes per hour, and direct exhaust of air from the room to the outside of the building or recirculation of the air through a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter;

(8) "Latent tuberculosis infection", infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis without symptoms or signs of disease. Patients with such infection do not have tuberculosis disease, are not infectious and cannot spread tuberculosis infection to others;

(9) "Local public health authority", any legally constituted local city or county board of health or health center board of trustees or the director of health of the city of Kansas City, the director of the Springfield-Greene County health department, the director of health of St. Louis County or the commissioner of health of the City of St. Louis, or in the absence of such board, the county commission or the county board of tuberculosis hospital commissioners of any county;

(10) "Potential transmitter", any person who has the diagnosis of pulmonary or laryngeal tuberculosis but has not begun a recommended course of therapy, or who has the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and has started a recommended course of therapy but has not completed the therapy. This status applies to any individual with tuberculosis, regardless of his or her current bacteriologic status;

(11) "Recommended course of therapy", a regimen of antituberculosis chemotherapy in accordance with medical standards of the American Thoracic Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, or the American Academy of Pediatrics;

(12) "Targeted testing program", a program that screens all faculty and students to identify those at high risk for latent tuberculosis infection and persons at high risk for developing tuberculosis disease, and includes testing of identified high-risk populations to determine those that would benefit from treatment. Screening shall require the completion of a tuberculosis risk assessment questionnaire form recommended by the American College of Health Association or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High-risk populations include students from countries where tuberculosis is endemic or students with other risk factors for tuberculosis as identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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(L. 1961 p. 518 § 1, A.L. 1986 H.B. 1554 Revision, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1739 merged with S.B. 742, A.L. 1999 H.B. 721 merged with S.B. 261, A.L. 2001 S.B. 266, A.L. 2013 S.B. 197)