Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities for Public Health Units in Australia

Appendix 13: Respiratory illness/Influenza outbreak alert letter to RCF Manager

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Please note the attached letters are a guide and a resource which the Public Health Unit may modify to fit local circumstances
NOTE – Please print this text onto a Public Health Unit letterhead


Manager’s name and title\RCF Address

Dear

I am writing in response to recent reports of respiratory infections/influenza affecting some residents at your facility. To help determine the cause and prevent the spread of respiratory infections at your facility, the following immediate measures are recommended:

Implement appropriate infection control precautions (see attached “Respiratory Outbreak Control Measures” chart)

Arrange for nose and throat swabs to be taken from residents and staff that have developed symptoms of respiratory illness within the previous 48 hours. These swabs should be submitted for laboratory testing for common respiratory pathogens such as influenzavirus, parainfluenzavirus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus (see attached “Guidelines for Taking Nasal and Throat Swabs”. Please contact us if you need to discuss arrangements for swab collection with you.

Record the status of the symptoms, influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, antiviral therapy / prophylaxis, and clinical outcomes for each resident and staff member who are or have been at the facility on the attached “Respiratory Outbreak Line Listing” Forms.

Notify all staff members (including attending doctors) of the outbreak, including the response measures recommended in the attached chart “Respiratory Outbreak Control Measures”. Attached is a draft letter that can be used to inform health care providers about the outbreak.

Notify the families of ill residents to advise them about the outbreak and visiting restrictions.

If the laboratory results indicate an outbreak of influenza, antiviral therapy or prophylaxis for residents and/or staff may be recommended. Also any residents and staff who have not received influenza vaccination this year should immediately be offered vaccination. Please note that antiviral therapy should be prescribed for each patient by their attending medical practitioner according to the recommendations in the Product Information.

For more information or advice, please contact: _____________ (b/h) or _____________ (a/h)

Yours sincerely


Director
Public Health Unit

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