Can a practitioner have an infectious or contagious disease and continue to practice podiatry in Oklahoma?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only with doctor approval
• D. Only if disease is curable

Answer: (B)

Protecting patients and the public from exposure is the guiding obligation here. If a podiatry practitioner has an infectious or contagious disease, continuing to see patients creates a real risk of transmitting illness in the clinical setting. Because of that risk, the professional and regulatory expectations are that the practitioner stops practicing until they are no longer contagious and have any required medical clearance. Relying on a doctor’s approval or the disease being curable does not override the need to prevent transmission; contagiousness determines whether it’s safe to return to patient care, not whether the illness can be cured. In Oklahoma, this usually means pausing practice and following the board’s guidance for return. That’s why the correct answer is that you cannot continue to practice while infectious or contagious.