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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>73733</law_id><section_number>32.1-48.01</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>32.1-43</reference><reference>32.1-44</reference><reference>32.1-45</reference><reference>32.1-48.011</reference><reference>32.1-48.05</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="32.1">Health</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="2">Disease Prevention and Control</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3.01">Isolation of Certain Persons With Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Appropriate precautions</span>&#x201D; means those specific measures which have been demonstrated by current scientific <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> to assist in preventing transmission of a <span class="dictionary">communicable disease of public health significance</span>. <span class="dictionary">Appropriate precautions</span> will vary according to the disease.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">At-risk behavior</span>&#x201D; means engaging in acts which a <span class="dictionary">person</span>, who has been informed that he is infected with a <span class="dictionary">communicable disease of public health significance</span>, knows may infect other <span class="dictionary">persons</span> without taking <span class="dictionary">appropriate precautions</span> to protect the health of the other <span class="dictionary">persons</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Communicable disease of public health significance</span>&#x201D; means an illness of public health significance, as determined by the State Health <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span>, caused by a specific or suspected infectious agent that may be transmitted directly or indirectly from one individual to another.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Communicable disease of public health significance</span>&#x201D; shall include, but may not be limited to, infections caused by human immunodeficiency viruses, blood-borne pathogens, and tubercle bacillus. The State Health <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> may determine that diseases caused by other pathogens constitute communicable diseases of public health significance. Further, &#x201C;a <span class="dictionary">communicable disease of public health significance</span>&#x201D; shall become a &#x201C;communicable disease of public health threat&#x201D; upon the <span class="dictionary">finding</span> of the State Health <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> of exceptional circumstances pursuant to Article 3.02 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Application of article; determination of exceptional circumstances; regulations; duties of the State Health Commissioner not be delegated" href="/32.1-48.05/">32.1-48.05</a> et seq.) of this chapter.</p></section></text><history>1990, c. 958; 2004, cc. 773, 1021.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
