Prevent Disease Transmission

Infection control measures

Infection control measures typically play an important role in preventing disease transmission during respiratory outbreaks. Many of the materials listed below were developed for healthcare settings. However, some may apply to other settings, such as schools or daycare facilities.

Vaccine recommendations and antibacterial and antiviral medication guidelines can also help determine control measures for some respiratory disease outbreaks.

• Standards, practice guidelines, and statements developed and/or endorsed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America
• Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
• Infection control guidelines library
• State-based healthcare-associated infection prevention
• Guideline for hand hygiene in healthcare settings

Guidance on specific pathogens

• Group A strep in long-term care facilities: Identifying and managing outbreaks
• Using antiviral agents to control influenza outbreaks in institutions
• Infection control guidance for healthcare professionals about coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Interim infection prevention and control recommendations for hospitalized patients with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
• Interim guidance for infection control within healthcare settings for novel influenza A viruses
• Pertussis postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis
• Recommended vaccines by disease

Other helpful references

• For zoonotic respiratory infections such as anthrax, Chlamydia psittaci, Coxiella burnetti (Q fever):
  • CDC. Compendium of measures to prevent disease associated with animals in public settings, 2005. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2005;54(RR04):1–12.
  • National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians. Compendium of measures to control Chlamydia psittaci infection among humans (psittacosis) and pet birds (avian chlamydiosis), 2017 [22 pages].
• CDC. Prevention and control of influenza with vaccines
• CDC. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome—United States: Updated recommendations for risk reduction [16 pages]. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2002;51(RR9):1–14.
• CDC. Guidelines for preventing health-care-associated pneumonia, 2003: Recommendations of CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). [40 pages] MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2004;53(RR3):1–179.
• CDC. TB infection control in health care settings.
• CDC. Antimicrobial treatment and prophylaxis of plague: Recommendations for naturally acquired infections and bioterrorism response. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(3):1–27.