An influenza outbreak in a regional residential facility

Influenza is a highly contagious infection with the potential for outbreaks in residential facilities despite seemingly adequate vaccination levels among residents. The management of an influenza A outbreak in a residential facility for cognitively impaired residents of an Australian regional health service is described. Twenty-five of the residents of a 60-bed stand alone facility were affected, with one fatality resulting. As virological confirmation of the outbreak was received late on a Friday, the initiation of antiviral treatment and prophylaxis occurred out of hours. The unanticipated consequences of this out-of-hours management are discussed. The management of an influenza outbreak in a dementia specific residential facility requires a specific infection control response which anticipates the ethical issues relating to the care of the cognitively impaired.