Outbreaks

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health works alongside our long-term care homes, retirement homes, acute care facilities and other congregate settings to manage and prevent outbreaks by providing guidance based on the Recommendations for Outbreak Prevention and Control in Institutions and Congregate Living Settings document.

If you are a congregate setting looking to report a suspect or confirmed outbreak, contact Public Health:

Quick Reference Guides:

WDGPH has developed outbreak quick reference guides to support staff who manage outbreaks.

Testing:

  • Verify all testing kits (Nasopharyngeal swabs and stool kits) are within their expiry dates.
  • Review your current inventory to ensure you have enough testing supplies available.
  • Ensure you are using the Public Health Ontario General Test Requisition for outbreak testing.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

  • Review your current PPE inventory as it is recommended to have at least a two-week supply available.
  • Testing and PPE supplies can be ordered through the PPE Supply Portal.

Vaccination:

  • In the event of an influenza outbreak, Public Health will request staff and resident influenza vaccination information. Ensure you have a method to track vaccinations (and vaccination refusals) and provide this information to Public Health in a timely manner.
  • When completing the line list, include resident vaccination data (COVID-19, RSV, Influenza) to provide a detailed clinical history.
  • Ensure that staff exclusion policies, including those applicable to unvaccinated staff, have been reviewed and are up to date.

Antiviral Medications:

  • Review your internal antiviral policies and procedures.
  • Ensure your facility has a plan in place to rapidly obtain antiviral medications for treatment and prophylaxis during an influenza outbreak. Consider utilizing a medical directive to streamline access for residents.
  • Confirm arrangements with your chosen and/or assigned pharmacy to obtain antiviral medications as quickly as possible, including weekends and holidays.
  • For information on antiviral medications, please refer to the JAMMI Canada Foundation Guidance- Update 2019.

If you have any issues gaining access to antiviral medications during an influenza outbreak reach out to us immediately:

Staffing Considerations:

  • Designate staff for outbreak management coverage, including weekend and night shifts.
  • Ensure those designated staff have access to necessary resources (e.g. vaccination data, line list viewing and submission capabilities, test results, etc.) and review the Initial Outbreak Steps resource with them.
  • Review your staffing contingency plans to prepare for potential shortages due to increased illness.

 

The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph IPAC Hub has created many resources to help facilities prevent and manage outbreaks. Check out the IPAC Hub page to see how the IPAC Hub can support your facility!

If you have any questions or would like to request outbreak or infection prevention and control (IPAC)  support, please email us at congregatesetting@wdgpublichealth.ca.

To view a list of facilities currently experiencing an outbreak, refer to the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health outbreak bulletin.