Minimum dataset for confirmed human cases of influenza H5N1

Abstract

Sheila Bird and Jeremy Farrar’s Comment (Aug 30, p 696) raises important issues that the Health Protection Agency and the UK devolved administrations have worked on for some time: the timely, consistent collection of detailed clinical and epidemiological data on cases of avian and pandemic infl uenza and their contacts. The output, the UK Avian Infl uenza Management System (AIMS), is a password-protected, web-based software package designed to collate epidemio logical, clinical, and personal data on human cases of avian in fl uenza (particularly, although not ex clusively, H5N1) and in the event of a pan demic, on the fi rst few hundred pandemic infl uenza cases in the UK. The minimum dataset has relied heavily on the multidisciplinary input of public-health professionals, infectiousdisease modellers, and clinicians. The system design allows data on cases to be entered in real time until discharge or death (fi gure). Data extracts are available as predetermined reports or fl at fi les for detailed statistical analysis. However, a database on its own is in suffi cient; for consistency and comparability, protocols—agreed and test ed before hand—are necessary for im portant issues such as case defi nitions, identifi cation and follow-up of con tacts, what happens to contacts who become cases, and the testing of cases and contacts. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has suggested that individual countries should populate WHO/ECDC international databases with H5N1 cases. The UK is well placed to provide the international community with data for any internationally agreed minimum dataset. We look forward to continuing dialogue with ECDC and hope that other countries consider our system when designing their own.