Anderson Municipal Code Ch. 8.20 Communicable Diseases

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

A. "Cleaning" means the removal by scrubbing and washing with hot water, soap and washing soda of organic matter on which and in which bacteria may find favorable conditions for prolonging life and virulence and also the removal by the same means of bacteria adherent to surfaces.

B. "Concurrent disinfection" means the application of disinfection immediately after the discharge of infectious material from the body of an infected person or after the soiling of articles with such infectious discharges, all personal contact with such discharges or articles being prevented prior to disinfection.

C. "Delousing" means the process by which a person and his personal apparel are treated so that neither the adults nor the eggs of the podiculus corporis or pediculus capitis survive.

D. "Disinfection" means the destroying of the vitality of the pathogenic micro-organisms or viruses by chemical or physical means.

E. "Disinfestation" means any process, such as the use of dry or moist heat, gaseous agents, poison food or trapping, by which insects and animals known to be capable of conveying or transmitting infection may be destroyed.

F. "Fumigation" means a process by which the destruction of insects, such as mosquitoes and body lice, and animals, such as rats, is accomplished by means of gaseous agents.

G. "Renovation" means, in addition to cleansing, such treatment of the walls, floors and ceilings or rooms of houses as may be necessary to place the premises in a satisfactory sanitary condition as a habitation.

(Prior code § 10.13)

It shall be the duty of all undertakers or embalmers, before proceeding to the actual embalming of any body in which the cause of death is suspected to be a communicable disease, to await the official approval of the health officer. If the case was previously unreported to the health officer, it shall be the duty of the undertaker or embalmer to make a report at once.

(Prior code § 10.14)

Upon the discovery of any person or animal or other thing affected or infected with a communicable disease, the owner or manager thereof shall on demand cause all houses, buildings or premises and all articles therein which might harbor germs or viruses or carriers thereof to be disinfected, disinfested, deloused, renovated or cleaned or fumigated under the supervision of the health officer.

(Prior code § 10.15)

Following the termination or death or removal of any case of communicable disease from a house or other place, the health officer shall determine what means shall be followed in rendering such a place noninfectious. It shall be the duty of all persons to carry out the orders of the health officer in regard to cleaning such premises and to cooperate in any further means of destroying the vitality of pathogenic micro-organisms or viruses in such place as may be adopted or ordered by the health officer.

(Prior code § 10.16)

Whenever quarantine is established by the health officer for any communicable disease, the health officer shall instruct all persons on the quarantined premises to take the necessary steps to bring about concurrent disinfection to prevent the spread of the disease through infectious discharge, and it shall be the duty of all persons to obey such instructions. The health officer shall take such measures as may be necessary to delouse all infected persons or contacts with infected individuals on the quarantined premises, and all such persons shall obey the orders of the health officer in relation thereto for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease.

(Prior code § 10.17)

Whenever an emergency exists that requires immediate action for the protection of the public health, the health officer shall, at the expense of the city, proceed to render such house, building or premises free from all danger of the spread of communicable disease. If it is necessary to destroy any clothing or bedding or other articles to prevent the spread of communicable disease, then the same shall be destroyed by the health officer or under his direction.

(Prior code § 10.19)

No person shall remove any article of clothing or bedding or any other article by which the germs of disease may be carried from any house, building or premises in which there is or has been a case of communicable disease until such article has been thoroughly disinfected and the permission of the health officer obtained for such removal.

(Prior code § 10.20)

No person shall, without a written permit from the health officer, transport, carry or remove in any manner into or across the city or any part thereof, or from one building or place to another, or from any railway depot or conveyance to any house, or through any public street or highway, any person afflicted with any communicable disease as diagnosed by competent medical authority.

(Prior code § 10.21)

No person who has attended upon or otherwise has come in contact with any case of communicable disease in such a manner or to such an extent as to render him liable to contract disease or to communicate such disease to others shall go into any public place or assembly or mingle with other persons not affected with such disease. The health officer may, when it is necessary, cause any person so exposed to be quarantined until the danger of such person's having or communicating such communicable disease has passed.

(Prior code § 10.22)

Whenever the health officer finds any premises to be infested with vermin or rats or to be in such unsanitary conditions as to require fumigation or renovation, the health officer shall serve notice of such condition on the owner, agent or tenant of such premises and such owner shall fumigate or renovate such premises as directed.

(Prior code § 10.18)