LEGIONELLA - World Health Organization

Box . Example of terms of reference for an outbreak control team
The terms of reference for an outbreak control team should include at least the following areas:
• membership and composition of the team
• allocation of tasks
• confidentiality and ownership of data
• disclosure and dissemination of information
• preparation of reports — immediate, interim and final
• authorship of publications
• review of outbreak procedures, management and outcomes
• documentation of lessons learnt.
Confidentiality and information disclosure and dissemination
Confidentiality of data should be respected at all times; therefore, information on cases received
in medical confidence should be confined to members of the outbreak control team and should
be referred to without patient identifiers when reports are produced for wider dissemination.
Media reports should also respect the confidentiality of the data on which they are based.
Procedures for disseminating information from the outbreak investigation should be agreed
in advance, so that all relevant people are aware of the latest findings and developments in the
investigation. All members of the outbreak control team should be prepared and informed through
regular telephone conferences. When results of laboratory findings are being released, or testing
of specimens is being requested, the channels of communication should be made clear, so
that the appropriate people are informed in the correct order. Normally, the chairperson will
receive the results of all diagnostic tests and forward them to the relevant members of the
outbreak control team.
Outbreaks generate a great deal of anxiety among the population involved; there is often extensive
media coverage, and the outbreak control team may be subject to excessive public scrutiny
during the course of the investigation. A media spokesperson or a single member of the team
should therefore be designated to speak to the media to ensure consistency. It is a good idea
to have a pre-prepared press statement.
The media can sometimes be used to help find cases and protect public health by providing
advice. Questions and answers can be pre-prepared and posted on the internet. For example,
the web site of the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency provides general information
on Legionnaires’ disease in the form of questions and answers. 21 The site poses and answers
questions such as “What is Legionnaires’ disease?”, “Why is it called Legionnaires’ disease?”,
“How is Legionnaires’ disease spread?” and “What are the symptoms?”.
21 http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/legionella/gen_info.htm
LEGIONELLA AND THE PREVENTION OF LEGIONELLOSIS