Guidance on the Procedure for Investigating Outbreaks and Infectious Disease Epidemics

Circular 17/2019/TT-BYT stipulates the sequence of steps for investigating outbreaks and infectious diseases, which can be flexible depending on the nature of the outbreak and infectious diseases, including:

Illustration (source internet)

1. Preparation for investigating outbreaks and infectious diseases.
2. Diagnosis verification.
3. Confirmation of the existence of the outbreak and infectious diseases.
4. Definition of disease cases, based on clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory diagnostic criteria to identify the infected person, suspected cases, and the initial disease case.
5. Description of the outbreak by time, location, and person.
6. Hypothesis building regarding the outbreak, source of infection, causal agents, modes, and routes of transmission, intermediary vectors, exposures, and risk factors.
7. Evaluation and testing of the hypothesis.
8. Hypothesis refinement and conducting supplementary research.
9. Proposing preventive and control measures.
10. Reporting the results of the outbreak and infectious disease investigation.

In addition, the Circular stipulates that when there is no outbreak or infectious disease, the units responsible for responding within the assigned administrative management areas must carry out proactive preventive activities as follows:

- Develop, approve, and implement plans for preventing and combating infectious diseases.- Evaluate and forecast the risk of infectious diseases.- Risk control.- Inspection and supervision.

See the full text of the regulation at Circular 17/2019/TT-BYT effective from September 1, 2019.

Thu Ba

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE