Commonground
Senior Moderator
DATE: January 21, 2025
TOPIC: Accelerated Testing and Surveillance for Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Human Cases
AUTHOR: Ashleigh Faulstich, Senior Epidemiologist, Influenza Coordinator
TO: Health Care Providers, Medical Facilities, Medical Laboratories, and Local Health Authorities
Background ...
-snip-
...No human-to-human transmission has been detected. Healthcare providers are urged to take the following actions to aid public health in ensuring rapid identification and response in suspected H5N1 cases in Nevada.
Actions for medical providers
For an at-a-glance reference to the recommended clinical steps, please see the flowchart provided in Appendix A.
Evaluate for Influenza A (H5N1):
Consider Influenza A (H5N1) virus infection in patients who present with acute respiratory illness and/or conjunctivitis if they have had relevant exposure within the 10 days preceding symptom onset. Providers should thoroughly document relevant exposures in the patient’s medical record, including:
• Contact with potentially infected sick or dead birds, livestock, or other animals (e.g., handling, slaughtering, defeathering, butchering, culling).
• Consuming or preparing unpasteurized/raw milk or dairy products.
• Direct contact with water or materials contaminated with fluids or excrement from potentially
infected animals.
• Prolonged exposure to potentially infected birds or other animals in confined spaces.
• Contact with a confirmed, probable, or suspect human case.
Special considerations for hospitalized patients:
All hospitalized patients with an unsubtyped positive influenza A test should have specimens subtyped for influenza A(H5) within 24 hours of influenza A confirmation at either a public health or clinical laboratory. Specimens confirmed as H1 or H3 are not required to undergo H5 subtyping.
continued: https://dpbh.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dpbhnvgov/content/Resources/01-21-2024-TB-HPA-specimens.pdf
TOPIC: Accelerated Testing and Surveillance for Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Human Cases
AUTHOR: Ashleigh Faulstich, Senior Epidemiologist, Influenza Coordinator
TO: Health Care Providers, Medical Facilities, Medical Laboratories, and Local Health Authorities
Background ...
-snip-
...No human-to-human transmission has been detected. Healthcare providers are urged to take the following actions to aid public health in ensuring rapid identification and response in suspected H5N1 cases in Nevada.
Actions for medical providers
For an at-a-glance reference to the recommended clinical steps, please see the flowchart provided in Appendix A.
Evaluate for Influenza A (H5N1):
Consider Influenza A (H5N1) virus infection in patients who present with acute respiratory illness and/or conjunctivitis if they have had relevant exposure within the 10 days preceding symptom onset. Providers should thoroughly document relevant exposures in the patient’s medical record, including:
• Contact with potentially infected sick or dead birds, livestock, or other animals (e.g., handling, slaughtering, defeathering, butchering, culling).
• Consuming or preparing unpasteurized/raw milk or dairy products.
• Direct contact with water or materials contaminated with fluids or excrement from potentially
infected animals.
• Prolonged exposure to potentially infected birds or other animals in confined spaces.
• Contact with a confirmed, probable, or suspect human case.
Special considerations for hospitalized patients:
All hospitalized patients with an unsubtyped positive influenza A test should have specimens subtyped for influenza A(H5) within 24 hours of influenza A confirmation at either a public health or clinical laboratory. Specimens confirmed as H1 or H3 are not required to undergo H5 subtyping.
continued: https://dpbh.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/dpbhnvgov/content/Resources/01-21-2024-TB-HPA-specimens.pdf