Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities for Public Health Units in Australia
Preface
Table of contents
Purpose of the Guide
The purpose of this document – Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities in Australia (the Guidelines) – is to provide national best practice guidelines for staff of public health units for preventing, defining and managing outbreaks of influenza in Residential Care Facilities (RCFs) in Australia during interpandemic periods.For the purpose of the Guidelines, RCFs are taken to mean facilities where the residents live some or all of their lives in that facility on an ongoing basis. These include aged care facilities (nursing homes and hostels), facilities for people with physical and mental disabilities, detention centres and gaols. While the Guidelines are primarily intended to apply to RCFs, many of these principles are applicable to other settings such as hospitals, cruise ships, military barracks and boarding schools.
These Guidelines have been prepared for an interpandemic influenza period recognizing that in a national influenza pandemic alert or pandemic period, outbreak control will be determined by the Australian Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza (AMPPI).
The commonest group of pathogens that cause outbreaks of respiratory illness in RCFs are viruses, and, of these, influenza is by far the most significant in terms of health impact. More proven interventions exist for preventing and controlling influenza outbreaks than for other respiratory viruses. However apart from vaccination and antiviral use the methods described for prevention and control of influenza outbreaks are also appropriate for outbreaks caused by other respiratory viruses and bacteria. In these cases, additional pathogen-specific guidance should be sought to augment the information and advice contained in the Guidelines.
Two of the key interventions for outbreak control described in the Guidelines are the use of anti-viral medications for treatment and prophylaxis for staff and residents, and influenza vaccination for prevention of disease in uninfected staff and residents. The responsibility for the provision and payment for antiviral agents and influenza vaccine will vary across jurisdictions, and this should be decided at the state and territory level.
The Guidelines have been prepared under the auspices of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA). CDNA is a subcommittee of the Australian Health Protection Committee, which reports to the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC). CDNA consists of public health professionals drawn from Commonwealth, State and Territory public health departments and agencies. An Interpandemic Influenza Working Group was formed by CDNA to develop these guidelines. This group consisted of public health representatives from all Australian States and Territories with support from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
