Manitoba Health

Communicable Disease Management Protocols

Introduction:  Purpose of the Manual

The prevention, management and control of communicable diseases requires the active participation and cooperation of all health-care professionals and practitioners.

While this manual is intended to act as a guide to the management and control of communicable diseases within the Province of Manitoba, professional judgment will still be required by those charged with providing health care services.

Protocols for specific communicable diseases contain epidemiologic information with reference to provincial and national trends. Detailed information related to laboratory testing, treatment and public health investigation is included in the protocols and reflects best practices at the time of release. As advances in scientific knowledge and health care practices become available, our collective response to well established as well as newly identified and evolving pathogens must be routinely reviewed and updated. Although the Manual will be updated periodically, practitioners must take responsibility to ensure that they have the most recent knowledge relating to the case they are dealing with and, for that reason, a list of resources has been included below.

The most current versions of the following publications:

• Canadian Immunization Guide – Public Health Agency of Canada
• Control of Communicable Diseases Manual – American Public Health Association
• Principles and Practices of Infectious Diseases – Elsevier
• Redbook: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases - American Academy of Pediatrics

The following organizations:

• Infectious Diseases Society of America (Practice Guidelines)
• Public Health Agency of Canada
• UpToDate
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• US National Institutes of Health
• World Health Organization

Table of Contents

• Communicable Disease Surveillance
• Epidemiological Investigation of Outbreaks
• Control of Enteric Infections
• Reportable Diseases and Conditions by Health Professionals (HP) and Labs (L)  (April 2009)
• The Public Health Act Reporting Powers and Requirements  (May 2008)

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Most Recent Revisions/Additions:

• Haemophilus influenzae Disease
  (October 2024) REVISED
• Pertussis
  (September 2024) REVISED
• Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) Infection
  (September 2024) REVISED
• Hepatitis C
  (July 2024) REVISED
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) NEW
  (November 2023)
• Syphilis
  (March 2023) REVISED
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
  (January 2024) NEW
• Mpox (Orthopoxvirus)
  (January 2024) REVISED
• Regional Management of Outbreaks and Clusters in PHIMS NEW
  (July 2022)
• Lyme Disease
  (May 2021) REVISED

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Protocols A-Z:

Click on any of the underlined letters in the bar to jump to a particular topic, or hit CTRL + F to search for a keyword (COMMAND + F on Mac).

• Amebiasis
  (February 2013)
• Anaplasmosis
  (May 2016)
• Anthrax
  (August 2012)
• Antibiotic Resistant Organisms
  See:
  • Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms (AROs)
    (August 2016)

• Babesiosis
  (May 2016)
• Blastomycosis (September 2007)
• Botulism
  (November 2012 with October 2016 update)
  The following link is to the product information leaflet for the product that Manitoba Health may have available. Please ensure the correct leaflet is reviewed based on the product received.
  Cangene heptavalent (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)
• Brucellosis (January 2019) REVISED

• Campylobacter Infection
  (February 2012)
• Chancroid
  (November 2001)
• Children with Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
  (November 2001)
• Chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) Infection REVISED
  (March 2019)
• Cholera
  (August 2018)
• Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) REVISED
  (February 2019)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) NEW
  (November 2023)
  
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
  (December 2016)
• Cryptosporidiosis
  (July 2013)
• Cyclosporiasis
  (March 2016)

• Diphtheria
  (August 2016)

• Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Interim Protocol
  (March 2015)
  • Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Environmental Cleaning/Disinfection Guidelines for Community Settings
    (June 2017)
  • Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Infection Prevention and Control Interim Guidelines
    (March 2015)
  • Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Infection Prevention and Control Interim Guidelines for PreHospital Settings
    (April 2015)
  • Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Public Health Contact Management Interim Guidelines
    (June 2017)
• Interim Protocol for Handling Human Remains Infected with Ebola Virus
  (September 2015)
• Enteric Illness Protocol
  (May 2018)

• Giardiasis
  (September 2013)
• Gonorrhea
  (August 2015)
  

• Haemophilus influenzae Disease
  (October 2024)
• Meningococcal and Haemophilus influenzae Post Exposure Prophylaxis Invoicing Process
  (July 2024)
• Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
  (August 2015)
• Hepatitis A
  (February 2014)
• Hepatitis B 
  (October 2024)
  See also:
  • Hepatitis B Newborn Prophylaxis Letter Templates 
    (May 2018)
  • Hepatitis B Newborn Prophylaxis Protocol
    (October 2024)
  • Integrated Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Protocol
    (May 2019) REVISED
  • Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Infections
• Hepatitis C
  (July 2024) REVISED
  See also:
  • Integrated Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Protocol
    (October 2018)
  • Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Infections
• Herpes Zoster (Shingles)
  (June 2014)
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
  (January 2024) NEW
  See also:
  • Public Health Management of HIV Exposure and Non-Disclosure
    (February 2023) NEW
  • Integrated Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Protocol
    (October 2018)
  • Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Infections

• Seasonal Influenza
  (August 2016)
  See also:
  • Seasonal Influenza Vaccine
    (August 2020)
• Invasive Meningococcal Disease (Neisseria meningitidis)
  (July 2024)
  See also:
  • Meningococcal and Haemophilus influenzae Post Exposure Prophylaxis Invoicing Process
    (July 2024)
• Invasive Pneumococcal Disease (Streptococcus pneumoniae) (Pneumococcus)
  (January 2011)
  

• Legionellosis
  (revised March 2015)
• Leprosy (Hansen's Disease) REVISED
  (December 2019)
• Listeriosis
  (June 2011)
• Lyme Disease
  (revised May 2020)
• Lymphogranuloma Venereum (LGV)
  (May 2007)

• Malaria
  (July 2017)
• Measles (Rubeola)
  (May 2024)
• Methicillin and Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA/VRSA) Infection
  See:
  • Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms (AROs)
    (August 2016)
• Mpox (Orthopoxvirus)
  (January 2024)
• Mumps
  (July 2010)

• Regional Management of Outbreaks and Clusters in PHIMS NEW
  (July 2022)

• Pediculosis Capitis (Head Lice)
  (July 2014)
• Pertussis
  (September 2024)
• Plague
  (July 2018)
• Poliomyelitis
  (August 2019)

• Q Fever (Coxiella burnetii)
  (April 2016)

• Rabies: Protocol for Management of Human Rabies and Management of Exposures to Animals to Prevent Human Rabies
  (December 2019)
• Regional Management of Outbreaks and Clusters in PHIMS NEW
  (July 2022)
• Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome/Infection
  (November 2010)
  

• Salmonellosis (Non-Typhoid)
  (November 2011 with September 2024 updates)
• Seasonal Influenza
  (August 2016)
• Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and Emerging Respiratory Pathogens
  (December 2016)
• Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) Infection
  (September 2024)
• Shigellosis
  (November 2011)
• Streptococcal Disease (Group A Invasive)
  (November 2007)
• Streptococcal (Group B) Invasive Disease of the Newborn
  (August 2016)
• Syphilis
  (March 2023) REVISED
  See also:
  • Syphilis Management Tool
  • Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Infections

• Tetanus
  (July 2017)
  See also:
  • The following link is to the product information leaflet for the product that Manitoba Health may have available. Please ensure the correct leaflet is reviewed based on the product received.
    Tetanus Immune Globulin (Human)
• Travel Health
  (January 2015)
• Manitoba Tuberculosis Protocol
  (February 2014)
  See also:
  • Manitoba Tuberculosis Program - Roles and Responsibilities Matrix
    (January 2014)
• Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
  (November 2016)
• Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fever (Enteric Fever)
  (October 2012)

• Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
  See:
  • Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms (AROs)
    (August 2016)
• Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
  See:
  • Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Antibiotic Resistant Organisms (AROs)
    (August 2016)
• Varicella (Chickenpox)
  (June 2014)

• West Nile virus Public Health Human Case Investigation Protocol
  (July 2006 with 2015 update)

• Yellow Fever
  (September 2019) REVISED
• Yersiniosis
  (February 2012)

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Forms

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• Surveillance forms
  
• Hepatitis B Prophylaxis Record Sheet for Infants
  (November 2008)
• HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Drug Order Form
  (February 2019) UPDATED
• Medication Coverage and Prescription Form for HIV PEP
  (July 2024)
• Interregional Referral for Public Health Service
  (Nov 2012)
• Meningococcal Contact Form
  (Revised December 2005)
• Report of Suspected Rabies Exposure
  (Revised September 2022)
• STI Medication Order Form
  (December 2022) UPDATED
• STBBI Case/Contact Form for Health Care Providers
  (December 2022) NEW
• TB Treatment Prescriptions:
  
  1. Active/Suspected TB Treatment Prescription (updated March 2022)
     
  2. Latent TB Treatment Prescription (updated March 2022
     
  3. Open-Ended Form for: (updated March 2022)
     • LTBI/Window
     • Suspected/Active TB

• Vaccines and Biologics Order Form
  (January 2020) UPDATED

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Fact Sheets

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• See Public Health Fact Sheets