FAO - Addressing avian influenza A(H7N9) - Guidelines for risk communication messaging

[Pathfinder]

http://www.fao.org/emergencies/resources/documents/resources-detail/en/c/332087/

Addressing avian influenza A(H7N9) - Guidelines for risk communication messaging


Tags: AVIAN FLU, COMMUNICATION, GUIDELINES,

Sep 2015 Responding to the occurrence of influenza A (H7N9) virus requires a wide array of disciplines. Unlike H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), H7N9 is a low pathogenic virus that does not cause any disease signs in infected birds. Consequently there is no signal from poultry of the zoonotic risk at the animal-human interface. This makes it difficult to persuade animal workers of the potential danger from healthy-appearing poultry. Therefore, capacities in risk communication are crucial for animal and public health specialists, epidemiologists, virologists, veterinarians and many others working to reduce the risk this emerging virus poses.

Addressing avian influenza A(H7N9) - Guidelines for risk communication messaging

 

[Commonground]

An excellent read. Thanks Pathfinder.

Excerpt from document:
4.2
H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)
Since its discovery in 1996, H5N1 HPAI has shown the potential
to become a panzootic or pandemic threat. During the occurrence
and initial spread (particularly in 2005 and 2006 upon incursion into
Europe), national and international communication efforts sounded
a global alarm with regard to public health and successfully ? but
temporarily ? raised awareness among the international community
to the genuine risks posed to humans by H5N1 HPAI. However, no
pandemic has come to pass, and the number of infected countries
has been dramatically reduced. The global human population has
not as yet suffered the widespread, catastrophic mortality that
H5N1 HPAI still has the potential to cause. This has translated into
complacency and desensitization to the devastation that H5N1
HPAI and similar viruses can still cause, even in the face of a recent
increased international spread of the virus (late 2014 / early 2015).

-snip
4.3 Novel avian influenza H7N9 virus
H7N9 poses an even greater challenge for risk communication
than H5N1 HPAI. Like H5N1 HPAI, H7N9 infects both poultry
and people and both viruses have pandemic potential. Both H5N1
and H7N9 cause alarmingly high mortality in infected humans
(i.e. around 59 and 35 percent, respectively) (WHO, 2014).
However, H7N9 ? at this point in its emergence ? is genetically
better adapted to infect people (Uyeki and Cox, 2013). H5N1
HPAI can devastate poultry flocks if introduced and spread, but
H7N9 causes no mortality in poultry and little to no signs of illness
in birds (Swayne et al., 2013).
For the purposes of this document, it is important to emphasize
in simplistic terms that H5N1 HPAI primarily affects birds, while
H7N9 primarily affects people. Both originate in poultry. Virus
reassortment could lead to different forms of the viruses and
therefore a different situation in future.
Current international consensus is that H7N9 circulates in
poultry and infects humans via contact with live infected poultry
or contaminated environments (e.g. in LBMs or during poultry
transport and slaughter activities) (FAO, 2014).

 

[Commonground]

Another excerpt: A.
General concerns
?
H7N9 is a virus that represents a threat to human health
and shows the potential to cause a global influenza
pandemic.
?
Pandemics cannot be predicted ? they represent global
health threats that can potentially occur. Moreover, steps can
be taken to reduce the likelihood of pandemics occurring.
?
H7N9 causes flu-like symptoms in infected people and
frequently death, especially when left untreated. The mortality
rate in our country ranges from approximately X to Y.
?
H7N9 is transmitted to humans via direct contact with the
secretions of infected poultry. It has not been shown to
transmit from humans to humans. However, H7N9 is highly
adapted to infecting mammals, which means the virus has
the potential to obtain the capacity for sustained human-to-
human transmission.
?
Sustained human-to-human transmission would greatly
increase the likelihood of: i) rapid spread throughout the
human population; and ii)
high
rates of human mortality
worldwide