Definitions
- Asymptomatic person is defined as a person without the clinical symptoms of the illness.
- Excreter is an individual who has no symptoms but sheds the organism in their stool or urine for less than 12 months. This individual may have been an asymptomatic case or a case whose symptoms have resolved. The term may be used for salmonella, giardia, E. histolytica, and cryptosporidium.
- Carrier is an individual passing organisms in their stool or urine for more than 1 year, whether on a continuous or intermittent basis. This term is generally only used for salmonella, specifically S. Typhi.
- Cluster is defined as two or more ailing persons linked to the same shellfish source. Used in this document in respects to vibrio infection.
- Cohorting is defined as grouping of individuals who meet certain criteria into a room apart from others in the setting. This room should have its own restroom facility so as not to expose those individuals that do not meet criteria.
- Contact is an individual who has been in association with an infected individual or the environmental setting contaminated by the infected individual and thus had an opportunity to acquire the infection.
- Convalescing is defined as those who are recovering from the symptoms of the illness.
- Diarrhea is defined as an increase number of stools compared to the normal bowel patterns of a person (generally three or more stools in a 24 hour period). Stool is also characterized as having increased watery content, and volume and decreased stool form. Stool may be bloody, mucoid or watery.