H7N9 bird flu prevention and control program

(en.nhfpc.gov.cn)

Updated: 2014-06-30

For suspected or confirmed clustering cases, extra work should be done on top of the above-mentioned investigation content, including immediately screening suspected cases, studying links between exposure history and epidemiological cases, conducting homology analysis on viruses isolated from cases and environment, and determining if infection is caused by people-to-people transmission or common exposure.

2. Sample collection, transportation and lab testing When medical staff suspect a patient has caught the H7N9 virus, they should collect the upper and lower respiratory tract (especially the lower respiratory tract) samples and serums within seven days of the acute phase and two-to-four weeks from the acute phase as soon as possible.

Medical institutes that can conduct nucleic acid test should perform it on respiratory tract samples and make a diagnosis. Those that can’t should apply a quick antigen detection reagent to test for the influenza A virus as soon as possible. Positive results should be sent to the local flu supervision network for further H7N9 nucleic acid test. Sample collection, packaging and transportation should strictly follow the Highly Pathogenic Microorganism Bacterial Strains or Sample Transportation Management Regulations formulated by the defunct Ministry of Health.

The provincial disease control and prevention center with BSL-3 biosafety conditions should finish virus separation in two weeks. Labs capable of sequencing determination should finish the whole genome sequence test within 72 hours after virus separation and submit the test results to the National Influenza Center’s influenza virus sequence database. The virus should be sent to the National Influenza Center in 48 hours if the sequence test isn’t performed. The network lab that can’t carry out virus separation should send original samples with positive H7 nucleic acid test results to the National Influenza Center in 48 hours. The center should complete virus separation and sequence determination in two weeks, and submit results to the virus sequence database.

All medical institutes should send collected serum samples to the local flu monitoring network lab, which sends the sample to the provincial disease control and prevention center and the National Influenza Center for antibody detection.

All disease control and prevention centers should strengthen sample collection and test work in live fowl markets and farms.

For more operation details, please refer to the H7N9 Bird Flu Virus Sample Collection and Lab Test Strategy formulated by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.