CIPD - Bird flu

Health, safety and well-being

Originally issued January 2006; last updated February 2007

This factsheet gives introductory guidance. It:

explains what bird flu is and its dangers
considers how employers should respond to the potential threat and to an outbreak.

What is bird flu?

Bird flu or avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease affecting mostly chickens, ducks, turkeys, quails and other birds. It can be caused by any one of about 20 different strains of the influenza virus.

It is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the disease that is potentially dangerous for humans. The H5N1 strain re-emerged in South East Asia in 2003, before spreading to Europe and Africa. It has led to a number of deaths in various countries across South East Asia including China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Beyond South East Asia, Turkey, Egypt and Nigeria have also suffered human fatalities from the disease.

An outbreak of the H5N1 strain of the disease led to a mass cull of turkeys at a Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk in February 2007 and a dead swan in Fife was found to have the disease in April 2006. To date no humans have contracted the disease in the UK.

The H5N1 strain can only be caught as a result of direct contact with infected birds. However, there is concern that at some point it could combine with the human flu virus and create a new and much more dangerous flu which can be transmitted between humans raising concerns of a flu pandemic.

How dangerous is it?

Severe infections can lead to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, and other severe and life-threatening complications.

Since late 2003 to date, more than 160 people have been killed by the H5N1strain of disease which is endemic in poultry across parts of Asia. The World Health Organisation (WHO), which is working to limit the spread of the H5N1 strain of the disease in Turkey, has stressed the importance of people understanding the danger of contact between humans (particularly children) and infected poultry. However, it has confirmed that so far there have been no cases of bird flu being transmitted between humans.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control, the three great flu pandemics of the 20th century were the result of genetic material from bird flu viruses becoming incorporated into human flu viruses. This led to a far more dangerous virus which was able to rapidly spread worldwide. An example is the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919 which caused an estimated 40-50 million deaths worldwide.

At present there is no effective vaccine, but it is hoped that anti-viral drugs may help fight the symptoms of the disease. A stockpile of 14.6 million courses of anti-viral drugs (Tamiflu) is being built up by the UK government.

The number of reported cases of the H5N1 strain among humans is rising. By the end of 2006, the number of human deaths from the disease had more than doubled compared to the previous year. The mortality rate had also risen to almost 60%.

How can employers respond to the potential threat of a bird flu pandemic?

Be prepared: develop a contingency plan in case the risk of bird flu in the UK increases.
Have strategies to maximise the amount of home-working that is possible by staff.
Investigate ways of increasing use of video links and teleconferencing which can help limit the amount of face-to-face contact.
For service/customer facing organisations explore the possibility of increasing the amount of online transactions as well as self-service options for customers.
Have in place plans that will enable the organisation to operate on a skeleton staff.
Identify key roles that must be carried out and identify those individuals who have a wide range of skills who can fulfil more than one function.
Ensure that procedures are developed to ensure smooth handovers for employees who are filling in for colleagues in unfamiliar roles.
Stay up to date on the advice and guidance issued by the Department of Health (DoH) and the Health Safety Executive (HSE).

What should employers do if there is a pandemic resulting from bird flu?

Communicate clearly and consistently to minimise the chances of misunderstanding and needless worries among employees.
Advise unwell employees to seek appropriate medical advice at the soonest opportunity.
Provide clear advice on the importance of employees staying at home if they are beginning to feel unwell and start suffering from symptoms of flu such as: fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and conjunctivitis.
Postpone/cancel face to face training courses, unnecessary travel and work-related social events.
Follow advice issued by the DoH and HSE.

Bird flu

What is bird flu?

How dangerous is it?

How can employers respond to the potential threat of a bird flu pandemic?

What should employers do if there is a pandemic resulting from bird flu?

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