Bodily Fluid Transmission

Bodily Fluid Transmission Bodily fluids, including saliva, urine, vomit, and blood, can cause illness, such as:

 Dental caries (by saliva)

 Cytomegalovirus or CMV (by urine)

 Hepatitis B (preventable by vaccine)

 Hepatitis C (rare in children)

 HIV (no cases of transmission in an early education setting)

Vector-Borne Transmission A vector is a living thing that can transmit disease. We know, for example, that ticks can transmit Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Fleas are known to transmit Bubonic plague and typhus. Mosquitoes can infect people with St. Louis encephalitis (SLE), dengue fever, Zika virus, and West Nile disease. Rats and mice can transmit leptospirosis, trichinosis, hantavirus, and bacterial food poisoning. Raccoons can spread raccoon roundworm.

While these illnesses are relatively uncommon, the risk reminds us of the importance of

 utilizing integrated pest management techniques to keep insects and rodents out of buildings (covered later in this chapter)

 using insect repellant specifically recommended for children during outdoor activities

 removing standing water in which mosquitoes can lay their eggs