Major incidents in rural areas: managing a pandemic A/H1N1/2009 cluster

[tetano]

Rural Remote Health. 2010 Jul-Sep;10(3):1413. Epub 2010 Jul 23.
Major incidents in rural areas: managing a pandemic A/H1N1/2009 cluster.

Stark C, Garman E, McMenamin J, McCormick D, Oates K.

NHS Highland, Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom. cameron.stark@nhs.net.
Abstract

CONTEXT: Pandemic Influenza (A/H1N1/2009) caused worldwide concern because of its potential to spread rapidly in human populations. In Scotland, Government policy had been to seek to contain the spread of the virus for as long as possible in order to allow time for service preparations, and for vaccine development and supply. ISSUE: The first major Scottish outbreak of pandemic A/H1N1/2009 was in the rural area of Cowal and Bute. After two initial cases were identified, contact tracing found a cluster of cases associated with a football supporters' bus. Within 3 weeks, 130 cases had been identified in the area. Rapid provision of treatment doses of anti-viral medication to cases and prophylactic treatment of asymptomatic close contacts, advice on self-isolation and, where required, interruption of transmission by temporary school closure, were successful in containing the outbreak. LESSONS LEARNED: Pre-existing Major Incident and Pandemic Flu plans were used and adapted to the particular circumstances of the outbreak and the area. Supporting operational decision-making as close to the cases as possible allowed for speed and flexibility of response. Contact tracing and tracking of cases and results was performed by specialist public health staff who were geographically removed from the cases. This was possible because of effective use of existing telephone conferencing facilities, clarity of roles, and frequent communication among staff working on all areas of the response. Basing the work on established plans, staff experience of rural areas and rural service provision was successful.

PMID: 20701414 [PubMed - in process]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20701414

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Major incidents in rural areas: managing a pandemic A/H1N1/2009 cluster

Very interesting article Tetano. It also brings to mind the articles on transmission on aeroplanes

A norovirus outbreak that affected most of the plane:http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144131&highlight=transmission+airplane

Unlike in previous investigations, though, the greatest risk of becoming infected did not arise in the plane's heavily used restrooms. The riskiest places to be, it turns out, were seats immediately adjacent to the sick travelers or their close companions, or aisle seats, because the sick travelers walked by them. ........ by happenstance, the CDC said, most of the passengers used the bathrooms before the tour-group members' symptoms began

From the above article - if passengers had used the dirty bathrooms they could have been infected that way. Which makes me wonder why only people seated in rows near infected people are traced during an outbreak - whether it be measles, tuberculosis or pandemic flu.

They were seated in rows 13 - 17 on Air New Zealand flight 509, which arrived in Christchurch at 3.45pm on Monday, 7 December.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=136875&highlight=seats

The suspected patiend and his wife + all passengers sitting in the closes lines of seats in front and behind him, will all be examined for the flu.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102973&highlight=seats