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Background: There has been significant growth in the number of healthcare workers born outside the UK or recruited to the UK from countries with a high prevalence of TB, Hepatitis and other blood borne infections. Government policy recognises the need for occupational health procedures to facilitate treatment for these individuals and to reduce the risk of transmission of disease to patients.

This chapter describes how rapidly can pandemic influenza spread between countries and presents the International Health Regulations (IHR) aiming to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease. The WHO review of the implementation of the IHR in response to the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic is described. The potential interruption of the spread of disease by travel-related countermeasures is evaluated. The generic communicable disease control applied to pandemic influenza and the management of pandemic influenza at ports are discussed.

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