What to know
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø is available to provide consultation and assistance to health departments investigating health care-associated viral hepatitis outbreaks via email at [email protected].
Overview
ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø is here to help by sharing lessons learned from many states' experiences. ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø can also share the best practices that states developed while addressing infection control breaches in specific settings. Guidance topics include:
- Infection control observations.
- Patient notification.
- Screening for specific populations.
- Laboratory testing, including molecular genetic investigation.
Guidance
Given ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø’s experience with such outbreaks, ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø has compiled the following toolkit of resources for health departments:
Additional tools and considerations
Here are some resources and guidance for responding to health care-associated outbreaks of viral hepatitis:
- Health Care Investigation Checklist: General infection prevention and control assessment tool.
- Health Care Investigation Letter Example: Follow-up letter to send to health care facilities and/or providers identified during an investigation.
- Reported Health Care-Associated Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Outbreaks: Table summarizing health care-associated outbreaks of HBV and HCV infection reported to ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø since 2008.
- : Toolkit for state and local health departments to help develop prevention and response strategies, developed by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.
- : Commentary published in the American Journal of Infection Control suggests a broader approach in responding to health care-associated outbreaks. The framework encompasses risk of transmission of all pathogens, including viral hepatitis, and the role public health and other stakeholders play when making decisions about patient notification.
Content Source:
Division of Viral Hepatitis