Limiting worker exposure to highly pathogenic avian influenza a (H5N1): a repeat survey at a rendering plant processing infected poultry carcasses in the UK

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Obaghe Edeghere¹  Harsh V Duggal²  Nicol Coetzee²  Musarrat Afza² 

[1] Health Protection Agency, Regional Epidemiology Unit, 5 St Phillips Place, B3 2PW, Birmingham, UK;Health Protection Agency, West Midlands North, Crooked Bridge Road, ST16 3NE, Stafford, UK;

关键词: Influenza;    Oseltamivir;    Personal Protective Equipment;    Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza;    Pathogenic Avian Influenza;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-11-626

 received in 2010-11-16, accepted in 2011-08-05,  发布年份 2011

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundCurrent occupational and public health guidance does not distinguish between rendering plant workers and cullers/poultry workers in terms of infection risk in their respective roles during highly pathogenic avian influenza poultry outbreaks. We describe an operational approach to human health risk assessment decision making at a large rendering plant processing poultry carcasses stemming from two separate highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) outbreaks in England during 2007.MethodsDuring the first incident a uniform approach assigned equal exposure risk to all rendering workers in or near the production line. A task based exposure assessment approach was adopted during the second incident based on a hierarchy of occupational activities and potential for infection exposure. Workers assessed as being at risk of infection were offered personal protective equipment; pre-exposure antiviral prophylaxis; seasonal influenza immunisation; hygiene advice; and health monitoring. A repeat survey design was employed to compare the two risk assessment approaches, with allocation of antiviral prophylaxis as the main outcome variable.ResultsTask based exposure assessment during the second incident reduced the number of workers assessed at risk of infection from 72 to 55 (24% reduction) when compared to the first incident. No cases of influenza like illness were reported in workers during both incidents.ConclusionsTask based exposure assessment informs a proportionate public health response in rendering plant workers during highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 outbreaks, and reduces reliance on extensive antiviral prophylaxis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Coetzee et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011