Début février 2007,
le médecin coordonnateur d’un établissement d’hébergement
pour personnes âgées signalait un nombre important de syndromes
grippaux parmi les résidents et le personnel. Une investigation était
alors réalisée afin de confirmer et décrire l’épisode épidémique,
d’identifier les facteurs associés à la maladie et
de recommander rapidement des mesures de contrôle de l’épidémie. Outbreak of influenza in a nursing
home, Tarn At the beginning of February 2007, the infection control
practitioner (ICP) of a nursing home notified a high number of influenza-like
illnesses
among residents and healthcare workers. An investigation was conducted
to confirm and describe the outbreak, to identify factors associated
with the illness and to quickly implement appropriate measures to stop
the outbreak. A cohort study was conducted among all residents and healthcare
workers. Demographic, geographic and medical data were collected from
residents’ medical files and from the administration. A descriptive
analysis was realised and factors associated with the illness were estimated
based on relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. The etiology of
influenza was confirmed by rapid tests. Among the 89 residents and the
54 healthcare workers, respectively 43 (48%) and 14 (26%) were cases,
two of whom were confirmed. Influenza vaccine coverage was 65% among
residents. No healthcare worker was vaccinated. The attack rate was 3
times higher in one of the two buildings, where the epidemic first started
and where residents were most vulnerable. According to the epidemic curve,
healthcare workers possibly contributed to spread the virus, notably
from one building to another. The epidemic was notified to the medical
authorities only on the 9th day, which triggered first control measures.
The inadequate vaccination of residents and healthcare workers, the possible
participation of healthcare workers in virus transmission, the delay
in notification and first control measures and the proximity of vulnerable
individuals in this community probably facilitated the occurrence and
spread of this outbreak, underlining the need of applying existing health
regulations. Nursing homes should organise themselves for prevention,
identification, notification and control of such events, particularly
by the presence of an ICP on a regular basis and by training of other
healthcare workers. |
||
|
||
|