Imported Fever Service (IFS)

The Imported Fever Service (IFS) provides:

• 24-hour, 7-days a week telephone access to expert infection advice
• 24-hour on-call molecular diagnostic service for viral haemorrhagic fevers
• next working day molecular diagnostic service for a range of other acute imported fevers
• panels of diagnostic tools designed for 10 world regions, with the aim of delivering a positive diagnosis, rather than ruling out single infections

The IFS provides advice to support the management of febrile patients, infection control and public health interventions.

How to use the IFS

Non-infection specialists should discuss cases with their local microbiology, virology or infectious diseases service.

The IFS is available for registrars and consultants in infection specialties, who should call 0844 778 8990 for direct access to one of our team. The IFS line is answered by senior registrars during normal working hours, and by a consultant out of hours. Please ensure that you have patient identifiers, clinical details of the case and a full travel history before you access the IFS.

If you are seeking information about testing samples from patients with a possible viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF), read Viral haemorrhagic fever: sample testing advice before contacting the IFS.

The IFS does not advise on risk assessment, investigation or management of possible cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) or Avian Influenza. Suspected cases should be discussed with the local microbiology, virology or infectious disease service in the first instance, and then with the local UKHSA health protection team.

Sample referral

If you are advised to send samples for testing by the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL), complete and enclose a RIPL sample referral form (P1) and send to the address below:

Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL)
UK Health Security Agency
Manor Farm Road
Porton Down
Wiltshire
SP4 0JG

Test results

Significant positive results are phoned immediately to the referring clinician to support timely patient management, infection control and public health response.

Test results are issued only to identifiable hospital clinicians or general practitioners. Patients should approach the medical practitioner in charge of their case for their results.

Public advice

The public can get information on travel-related health issues from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC)

IFS does not offer:

• telephone advice to the public
• guidance regarding pre-travel health advice (vaccination, malaria prophylaxis etc)

Feedback procedure

To register a complaint or compliment about the service provided by the IFS, contact us at:

Emails should include ‘IFS Feedback’ as the subject line of the message.

All complaints are taken seriously and are investigated in accordance with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) complaints procedure.

If the resolution to your complaint is not satisfactory, you can request an independent review of the complaint.

About the IFS

The IFS is run by UKHSA in partnership with:

• the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD), London.
• the Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit (TIDU), Liverpool

Expert advice is provided by UKHSA consultant microbiologists and virologists and by infectious disease physicians from UKHSA and our NHS partner organisations.

Diagnostic tests are carried out by the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL) at UKHSA. The IFS has close links to UKHSA Health Protection Services.

Contact information