Infection Prevention & Control Information for Health Professionals
Toronto Public Health works with health care professionals to manage outbreaks, and apply effective public health strategies to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.
Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
To report a suspected or confirmed outbreak, call your Toronto Public Health Liaison. After hours (after 4:30 p.m., weekends and holidays) call 3-1-1 or 416-392-CITY (2489).
Respiratory Outbreaks
The purpose of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) Control of Respiratory Infection Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Homes guide is to provide long-term care homes (LTCHs), acute care facilities (ACFs), retirement homes, chronic care and rehabilitation facilities with detailed information on measures to detect, report, manage, and further reduce morbidity and mortality associated with respiratory outbreaks.
Outbreak Forms
- Initial Respiratory Outbreak Notification Form
- Respiratory Outbreak Line List
- Respiratory Hospitalizations and Deaths Line List Form
- Outbreak Transfer Notification
- Respiratory Outbreak Management Team Meeting Checklist
Specimen Collection
Signage
- Respiratory Outbreak Notification Sign
- Additional Precautions Signage and Lanyard Cards
- Cover Your Cough Posters (multilanguage)
- Hand Washing Posters (multiple languages)
- Hand Sanitizing Posters (multiple languages)
Additional Resources
- Pre-Outbreak Season Planning Form
- Repatriation Algorithm
- What Visitors Need to Know
- Public Health Ontario Laboratory Services – Kit and Test Ordering Instructions
- Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP) – Ordering Influenza Vaccine
- Summary of the NACI Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Statement
- Routine Practices and Additional Precautions in All Health Care Settings, Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PHO)
- Ontario Respiratory Pathogen Bulletin
Enteric Outbreaks
The purpose of this guide is to provide long-term care homes (LTCHs) and other institutions such as acute care facilities (ACFs), retirement homes, and chronic care and rehabilitation facilities with detailed information on measures necessary to detect, report, manage, and further reduce morbidity and mortality associated with enteric outbreaks.
Outbreak forms
- Initial Enteric Outbreak Notification Form
- Enteric Outbreak Line List
- Enteric Hospitalizations and Deaths Line List Form
- Outbreak Transfer Notification
- Enteric Outbreak Management Team Meeting Checklist
Specimen Collection
Signage
- Enteric Outbreak Notification Sign
- Additional Precautions Signage and Lanyard Cards
- Hand Washing Posters (multiple languages)
- Hand Sanitizing Posters (multiple languages)
Additional Resources
- Pre-Outbreak Season Planning Form
- Repatriation Algorithm
- Norovirus fact sheet
- What Visitors Need to Know
C-difficile
- Testing, Surveillance and management of Clostridium difficile in All Health Care Settings (Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC))
- Clostridium Difficile Infection – Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Management in Long-term care Facilities
- Clostridium Difficile Infection – Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Management in Acute Care Settings
- Stool Consistency Chart with Acceptance Criteria for Clostridioides difficile Testing (Public Health Ontario (PHO))
Acute Care and Complex Continuing Care Facilities
Respiratory
- MOHLTC: A Guide to the Control of Respiratory Infection Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Homes
- Initial Respiratory Outbreak Form
- Outbreak Notification Sign
- Instructions for Collecting a Nasopharyngeal Swab
- Respiratory Outbreak Summary and Epi-Curve
- Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) Outbreak Notification Form
- Respiratory Outbreak Transfer Notification Form
- Respiratory Outbreak Management Team Meeting Checklist
- Respiratory Outbreak Test Requisition Form Sample
Enteric
- A Guide to the Control of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Homes
- Public Health Laboratory – Outbreak Notification Report Form
- Enteric Outbreak Line List
- Outbreak Notification Sign
- Enteric Outbreak Transfer Notification Form
- Enteric Outbreak Management Team Meeting Checklist
- Enteric Outbreak Test Requisition Form Sample
C-difficile
- Testing, Surveillance and management of Clostridium difficile in All Health Care Settings (Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC))
- Clostridium Difficile Outbreak Line List
- Clostridium Difficile Outbreak Epi Curve
- Clostridium Difficile Outbreak Fact Sheet
- Clostridium Difficile Outbreak Checklist
Resources
Enteric
- Norovirus Fact Sheet for Your Patients
- Enteric Disease Surveillance Protocol for Ontario Hospitals, OHA/OMA/MOHLTC
- Specimen Collection Guide, PHO
- Association for Professional in Infection Control and Epidemiology
- Diseases and Organisms in Healthcare Settings, CDC
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Community and Hospital Infection Control Association – Canada (CHICA)
Respiratory
- Community and Hospital Infection Control Association – Canada (CHICA)
- Routine Practices and Additional Precautions in All Health Care Settings, Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee, PHO
- Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
- A Guide to the Control of Respiratory Infection Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Homes, MOHLTC
- Influenza Surveillance Protocol for Ontario Hospitals, OHA/OMA/MOHLTC
- Specimen Collection Guide, PHO
- PHAC influenza information
- Centers of Disease Control and Prevention
Influenza information
Respiratory educational material
Other Infection Control Resources
- Cover Your Cough Posters (multilanguage)
- Hand Washing Posters (multiple languages)
- Hand Sanitizing Posters (multiple languages)
- Public Health Information for Toronto Bathhouses
- Best Practice Documents, PIDAC
- Best Practice Manuals for all Health Care Settings, PIDAC
- Infection Control in the Physician’s Office, CPSO
- Community and Hospital Infection Control Association of Canada
- Regional Infection Control Networks
- Guidance: Infection Prevention and Control Measures for Healthcare Workers