Guidance

Influenza-like illness (ILI): managing outbreaks in care homes

Guidance for managing seasonal influenza, identifying pathogens and transmission routes for acute respiratory disease in care homes.

Documents

Guidelines on the management of outbreaks of influenza-like illness (ILI) in care homes

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Details

This guidance on influenza-like-illness outbreaks in care homes, originally published by Public Health England, is provided as is while new guidelines on health protection response to acute respiratory infection outbreaks in care homes are being developed. Health protection professionals should use their judgment in applying advice to incident response.

This guidance covers:

  • case definitions
  • managing cases
  • infection control
  • recording and reporting

A poster for care homes providing information on recognising an outbreak and infection and control measures is available.

Patient group direction (PGD) templates have been published for post-exposure prophylaxis and treatment of flu for adult residents and staff of care homes.

Published 26 October 2012
Last updated 7 July 2023 + show all updates
  1. Removed algorithm and added note to explain the guidance is being updated.

  2. Updated to include COVID-19 outbreak management and algorithm.

  3. Added information on patient group direction (PGD) templates.

  4. Replaced guidance with 'Guidelines on the management of outbreaks of influenza-like illness in care homes'.

  5. Updated 'PHE Guidelines on the management of outbreaks of influenza-like illness (ILI) in care homes'.

  6. New care home document uploaded.

  7. Added supplementary guidance for health protection teams involved in prevention and control of influenza and other respiratory viral infections among care home residents.

  8. First published.