Pandemic Influenza Plan - Questar III

Appendix 2-A
• During the Interpandemic and Pandemic Alert Periods and Documented HPAI
or Other Novel Influenza Virus in non-human animals in NYS: Patients meeting
the following clinical and epidemiologic criteria should be reported immediately to
the local health department:
o Severe or mild illness
AND
o Reside in or travel within 10 days of onset to a locally affected area
AND
o Direct contact with ill poultry or other implicated animal in an affected area OR
close contact with a suspected or confirmed human case of novel influenza OR
occupational risk.
• During the Pandemic Period and No Documented Pandemic Influenza Virus in
NYS: Patients meeting the following clinical and epidemiologic criteria should be
reported immediately to the local health department:
o Severe or mild illness
AND
o Within 10 days of onset: travel to a locally affected area (even if no direct contact
with poultry or suspect or confirmed human cases) OR occupational risk.
Once an influenza pandemic has begun, it is expected that it would only be a brief
period of time before the virus is identified in NYS. Therefore it is anticipated
that individual case reporting of suspect cases during the pandemic will be brief.
• During the Pandemic Period and Documented Pandemic Influenza Virus in NYS:
Patients meeting the mild illness clinical criteria will be classified as a suspected
pandemic influenza case. However, individual case reporting will likely be
suspended. The local and/or state health department will investigate any unusual
cases reported by medical providers. In NYC, web-based reporting will be available
for provider reporting. Outside NYC, hospital infection control practitioners are able
to report individual cases of influenza through the NYSDOH Communicable Disease
Electronic Surveillance System (CDESS).
Reporting Requirements:
Medical providers identifying patients meeting the above surveillance criteria should:
• Immediately report any suspect novel influenza cases to the LHD. If unable to reach
the LHD, contact the NYSDOH:
o During business hours contact the appropriate Regional Epidemiologist . If
unavailable, contact the Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at (518) 473-
4436.
o Outside of business hours, contact the NYSDOH After-Hours Duty Officer at 1-
866-881-2809.
February 7, 2006 2