Guidance for the public health management of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in community, social and residential care settings
Guidance for health protection teams (HPTs)

The key changes from version 1.0 (December 2024) include the following.

• Higher-risk settings are defined based on the vulnerability of service users within the setting rather than the risk of transmission within the setting.
• Health protection teams should conduct risk assessment during an outbreak in a closed setting regarding post-exposure prophylaxis in the wider closed setting and should advise primary and other health care professionals accordingly. The scientific evidence underpinning post-exposure prophylaxis in a higher-risk setting is provided.
• World Health Organization recommends using no new linked symptomatic or confirmed cases for two maximal incubation periods from the last possible exposure to a case as a guide for declaring an outbreak over.
• During an outbreak, HPTs should support care providers to meet the legislative requirements of Anne’s Law whilst balancing risk of transmission and illness as required under the Public Health Act, 2008.

First publication.