Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza are occurring in domestic fowl in many countries, posing a considerable human public health risk. Based on the latest World Health Organization (WHO) standards and recommendations, this manual provides comprehensive recommendations to help Ukrainian health care workers establish sentinel site surveillance and promptly identify, report, confirm, and classify potential cases of avian influenza in humans. In addition, the document includes guidance on the basic parameters for surveillance data analysis, investigation of trigger cases and outbreaks, improvement of other aspects of an early warning system for humans, and communication with the public and infection-control professionals. The guidelines are most appropriate for the current and the next stages of pandemic preparedness (phases 3 and 4 of the WHO Pandemic Alert Period) and are designed primarily for health care personnel working at rayon and regional sanitary-epidemiological stations.

Corporate author(s): Ministry of Health of Ukraine, L.V. Gromashevsky Institute, Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Mechinov Anti-Plague Institute, PATH, CDC, WHO

Published: July 2008

Region: Eastern Europe