Pathogens

Recommendations of the Health Board, the Agriculture and Food Board and the Labor Inspectorate regarding the spread of the bird flu virus.

Influenza is caused by viruses belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family. Influenza is caused by the influenza A, B and C viruses. Some influenza A viruses, such as the avian influenza virus, belong to risk group 3. Influenza B and C viruses belong to risk group 2.

The disease usually spreads through droplets when sneezing or coughing. It can also spread through droplets on various surfaces, as well as by touching your or someone else’s mouth or nose with unwashed hands.

In the external environment, the influenza virus survives on hard surfaces (tables, walls, handles) for 24–48 hours, on porous materials (clothing, paper) for 8–12 hours, on wet and damp surfaces for up to 72 hours and on hands for up to 3 hours in the case of severe contamination.

The source of infection is an infected person.  An infected person is a danger to others a day before symptoms occur, with the infectious period lasting up to seven days and in small children up to 21 days. Avian influenza is contracted upon contact with an infected bird.

Symptoms of the disease include a rapidly rising high fever, headache, dry cough and/or rhinitis, fatigue, weakness and muscle and joint ache. Influenza can be accompanied by severe complications, such as pneumonia and the intensification of chronic pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases.

The most common fatal complications of influenza are interstitial pneumonia caused by the virus, secondary pneumonia and the intensification of chronic pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases.

It is recommended for people with a viral infection to:

• stay home and get better, as an infected person can infect others for up to seven days. Going to work/school/kindergarten is also taxing on the body;
• cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing;
• avoid touching their eyes; and
• wash their hands frequently.

To avoid infection, it is recommended to:

• avoid crowded places or gatherings;
• wash your hands frequently; and
• cover your nose and mouth with a mask when in close contact with an infected person.

Legionella spreads as an aerosol in a humid environment, causing severe pneumonia. Spreading is facilitated by stagnant water, water temperature +25 to +45 °C, and the presence of scale and sediment.

Prevention: hot water systems must have a water temperature above + 50 °C, ventilation systems must have high-efficiency filters, the use of protozoan growth inhibitors in water systems.

Staphylococcal infections or purulent infections

Staphylococcus bacterium is spread through unwashed hands, infected bedding, airborne aerosols and skin flakes.

Prevention: hand hygiene, disinfectants, protective gloves.

Staphylococcus bacterium is spread through unwashed hands, infected bedding, airborne aerosols and skin flakes.

Prevention: hand hygiene, disinfectants, protective gloves.

The disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans from the tick species Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus. There is no vaccine. The course of the disease can be difficult and very slow, as the bacterium changes its form and antibiotic treatment is not always helpful.

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused primarily by the unicellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which multiplies and lives in cats. The parasite can also be found in the cats’ faeces, as well as soil, game meat, unwashed vegetables and contaminated drinking water.

In an infected person, the parasite can cause flu-like symptoms, encephalitis and neurological problems. In addition, it can negatively affect, for example, the heart, liver, inner ear and eyes. People with weak immune systems (children, the elderly, pregnant women, etc.) are particularly at risk.

Prevention: avoid contact with stray cats, avoid eating raw meat, especially pork and lamb (avoid tasting minced meat), wash hands after preparing raw meat, wash vegetables and fruits, wash hands after contact with soil.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). In most cases, the disease progresses with symptoms typical of a cold, but the virus can also cause breathing difficulties and pneumonia.

The disease is spread by infected people when they cough, sneeze or exhale. You can also contract the disease when you touch your mouth, eyes or nose with unclean hands after touching contaminated surfaces.

In most cases, symptoms are similar to those of a cold and influenza. The primary symptoms are headache, loss of smell, nasal congestion, cough, fatigue and weakness, muscle ache, rhinitis, loss of taste, sore throat and fever. In more severe cases, there may be breathing difficulties, chest aches and speech and movement disorders.

Proper hand hygiene helps avoid infection. It is important to wash your hands with warm water and soap every time before you eat or touch your eyes, mouth or nose. Make sure to practise good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing and coughing and disposing of it immediately, followed by washing your hands. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve (your forearm). Avoid using your bare hand. Keep a reasonable distance from people with symptoms and avoid close contact (> 2 m and < 15 min).

The disease is most severe in elderly people who have serious intercurrent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiac insufficiency, high blood pressure, tumours, chronic kidney and liver diseases, immunodeficiency, asthma and chronic pulmonary diseases, which weaken the body and immunity.

If you have COVID-19 or suspect you do, then:

• contact your family physician or the family physician advisory line 1220. If you are exhibiting symptoms, please do not go to the emergency room or to see your family physician. Instead, ask for treatment recommendations and instructions over the phone. Instructions for at-home treatment are available here (PDF);
• stay home for at least five days (even if you do not have any symptoms). To get a certificate of incapacity for work/certificate for care leave, contact your family physician;
• avoid contact with other people; and
• inform people you have been in contact with about potential infection.

For five days, close contacts should:

• self-isolate and telework, if possible. If you need a certificate of incapacity for work, contact your family physician, who will decide on the need to issue a temporary certificate;
• avoid contact, especially with people belonging to a risk group;
• wear a mask when they are not home; and
• carefully monitor their health.

 To avoid infection, it is recommended to:

• frequently wash your hands with warm water and soap. In public places, you can use hand sanitiser;
• wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces and public transport to protect yourself and others. Wearing a mask is especially recommended for risk groups;
• avoid unnecessary contacts. It is best to keep a reasonable distance from strangers in public indoor spaces;
• cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing;
• prefer well-ventilated rooms. The simplest way to ensure ventilation is to open windows and air the rooms; and
• vaccinate. Vaccination against COVID-19 is the simplest way to prevent severe illness and is free of charge for everyone.

Infectious hepatitis is caused by a number of viruses that multiply directly in the liver and damage it, which are grouped together under the common name ‘hepatitis viruses’.

The hepatitis A virus is a disease of the so-called dirty hands, because the virus is excreted in the faeces and transmitted through direct contact, unwashed hands, contaminated water and food.

Prevention: effective hand washing after exposure to a danger zone, vaccination.

Hepatitis B virus is even more contagious than hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis B is spread through direct contact with infected blood and body fluids.

Prevention: protective gloves, masks, goggles, vaccination.

The hepatitis C virus is primarily spread through infected blood. The virus can persist even in dried blood.

Typical causes of infection: piercing of ears or parts of the body, tattoos, use of common needles for intravenous drug use, transfusions of blood and blood components (donor blood has only been tested in Estonia since 1994), use of contaminated or insufficiently sterilised instruments and needles in medical and dental procedures.

Prevention: protective gloves, masks, goggles.