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The CARPHA Laboratory Form (see Appendix) must accompany the specimen and should have (in bold across the top): ‘For CARPHA’. The NPHL should be informed by phone that a specimen is en route.
Note: If the patient dies before stool samples can be collected, an autopsy should be performed within 24 hours of death to determine cause of death and collect appropriate samples. These should be sent to CARPHA and the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) Virology Laboratory in accordance with the surveillance manual. Reporting Procedure •
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Healthcare providers should report suspected cases to the parish health department within 24 hours using the Class I Diseases Notification Form (see Appendix). Health departments should notify the Regional Epidemiologist/Regional Surveillance Officer and the NSU immediately by phone or fax. Hard copies of the notification form must follow telephone/fax/email notifications. (Note: patient information should not be transmitted over the internet) NSU reports each case to the Family Health Unit and the EPI Regional Advisor at the CARPHA.
Case Investigation The Public Health Nurse assigned to the case should: 1. Initiate a case investigation within 24 hours of case identification o Obtain clinical history and laboratory test results from physician o Obtain travel and immunization history o Ensure appropriate specimen is collected and transported to the appropriate laboratory o Visit the home, school, nursery or workplace as needed to search for other cases and obtain immunization history of close contacts o Initiate community and hospital surveillance for additional cases o Follow-up with attending physician/specialists for additional test results and clinical history, in preparation for completing the 60-day follow-up. 2. Complete and submit an Acute Flaccid Paralysis Investigation Form to the parish MO(H) within 7 days of notification (see Appendix H).
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