How to Investigate Unexplained Respiratory Disease Outbreaks (URDO)

Prevention

Infection control measures typically play an important role in preventing disease transmission during respiratory outbreaks. While many materials are developed for health care settings, some of these documents may contain guidance that can also be applied to other settings, such as schools or daycare facilities. 

The following links are for reference only:

• Infection control recommendations for hospital-associated infections
  
• A comprehensive list of infection control topics and diseases, relevant to healthcare settings, that CDC currently addresses on its website:
• Using antiviral agents to control influenza outbreaks in institutions: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/institutions.htm
• CDC recommendations on hand hygiene and  http://www.handhygiene.org/cdcguidelines.asp
• Infection control in setting of SARS 
• Respiratory hygience and cough etiquette 
• Guidelines for the Control of Pertussis Outbreaks
• Vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases.
  (Provides links to information on immunization to prevent influenza and pneumococcal infections among infants, children and adults.
• Standards, Practice Guidelines, and Statements Developed and/or Endorsed by IDSA. 
• http://www.idsociety.org/Index.aspx

 

Other Helpful References

1. For zoonotic respiratory infections such as Q fever, anthrax, Chlamydia psittaci, Coxiella burnetti (Q fever):  CDC. Compendium of Measures To Prevent Disease Associated with Animals in Public Settings, 2005.  MMWR 2005 Mar 25; 54(RR04): 1-12. CDC. (with Link)
2. CDC. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2007 Prevention and Control of Influenza. MMWR 2007 July 13; 56(RR06): 1-54.  
3. CDC. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome-United States: Updated Recommendations for Risk Reduction .  MMWR 2002 July 26; 51(RR9): 1-14.
4. CDC. Guidelines for preventing health-care-associated pneumonia, 2003: recommendations of CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). MMWR 2004 Mar 26; 53(RR3): 1-179. 
5. CDC. Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
   in Health-Care Settings, 2005. MMWR 2005 Dec 30; 54(RR17): 1-141.
6. CDC. Prevention of Plague: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).  MMWR 1996 Dec 13; 45(RR14); 1-15.