# 8216
Although no cases of H7N9 have been reported outside of Asia, the potential for this virus to migrate to other regions of the world – including into the United States – cannot be dismissed. And the recently announced imported case of H5N1 in Canada (see WHO GAR Update On Canadian H5N1 Fatality) reminds us how easily someone who is infected can board a plane and cross oceans before falling ill.
In response to the Canadian case the CDC issued an advisory to clinicians last week (see CDC HAN Advisory On Canadian H5N1 Case).
Last year, the CDC also released the following interim guidance documents on the H7N9 virus.
H7N9: CDC Guidance On Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis – Oct 2013
H7N9: Updated CDC Guidance For Antiviral Treatment – Oct 2013
CDC Interim H7N9 Infection Control Guidelines – Apr 2013
Today’s document is designed to cover infection control guidelines for Novel Influenza A Viruses, which currently include both H5N1 and H7N9, but could be applied to other emerging novel flu viruses down the road.
This is a long document, and the details of which are of greatest interest to those working in the Healthcare field, so I’ll just post the link and some excerpts. Follow the link below to read it in its entirety.
Interim Guidance for Infection Control Within Healthcare Settings When Caring for Confirmed Cases, Probable Cases, and Cases Under Investigation for Infection with Novel Influenza A Viruses Associated with Severe Disease
This guidance provides recommendations for initial infection control in healthcare settings for patients who may be infected with a novel influenza A virus (i.e., an influenza A virus that has not recently been circulating among humans) associated with severe disease. Patients who may be infected with novel influenza A viruses, and are thus covered by this guidance, include confirmed cases, probable cases, cases under investigation for infection with a novel influenza A virus associated with severe disease, and other patients for whom available clinical and epidemiologic information strongly support a diagnosis of infection with a novel influenza A virus associated with severe disease. Currently, novel influenza A viruses that have been associated with severe disease in humans include: highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus and avian influenza A(H7N9) virus.
These recommendations will be updated as additional information on transmissibility, epidemiology, available treatment, or vaccine options on novel influenza viruses become available. These interim recommendations are based upon current available information and the following considerations:
- Lack of a widely available safe and effective vaccine
- A suspected high rate of morbidity and mortality among infected patients
- Few or no confirmed cases in the United States
This interim guidance recommends a higher level of infection control measures than for seasonal influenza, as outlined in the Prevention Strategies for Seasonal Influenza in Healthcare Settings. Among important differences from this seasonal influenza guidance are recommendations for contact and airborne precautions , which includes a higher level of personal protective equipment for healthcare personnel, including eye protection (i.e., required) and the expanded use of respirators (i.e., for all patient-care activities). For seasonal influenza, eye protection is not required in all instances and respirator use is recommended only during aerosol-generating procedures conducted on influenza patients.
Note that this interim guidance adds to existing infection control precautions (i.e., Standard Precautions) used every day in healthcare settings during the care of any patient. Standard Precautions are the foundation for preventing transmission of infectious agents in all healthcare settings and assume that every person is potentially infected or colonized with a pathogen that could be transmitted in the healthcare setting. Elements of standard precautions that apply to patients with respiratory infections, including those caused by the influenza virus, are summarized below (e.g., hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette). All aspects of standard precautions (e.g., injection safety) are not emphasized in this document but can be found in the guideline titled Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings and are summarized for non-hospital settings in the Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care.
This interim guidance was developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) subject matter experts, based on existing infection control guidelines, scientific evidence and expert opinion.
