Objective
So as to be able to detect nosocomial outbreaks at an early stage, we examine the construction of a syndromic surveillance system for inpatients who have fever, respiratory symptoms, diarrhea, vomiting or rash and evaluate its statistical properties.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), a bacterial tick-borne rickettsial illness, initially causes nonspecific symptoms (e.g., fever, rash, nausea, and vomiting). In 2003, RMSF was identified on tribal lands in Arizona where the brown dog tick is the primary vector1.
Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood viral infection, characterised by a brief febrile illness, vesicular rashes on the hands and feet and mouth ulcers. HFMD is endemic in Singapore, with more than 50% of cases occurring in children below 5 years of age.1 Enterovirus 71 (EV71), coxsackievirus A6 (CA6) and A16 (CA16) were the major enteroviruses causing nationwide HFMD epidemics in Singapore in recent years. We estimated the basic reproduction number (R0), which measures the infectiousness of a pathogen in a given population, of these enteroviruses to have a better understanding of the transmission dynamics.
Objective
To estimate the basic reproduction number of enterovirus 71, coxsackievirus A6 and A16 in hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreaks in Singapore, for a better understanding of the transmission dynamics of these enteroviruses.
This project was established through the Border Infectious Disease Surveillance (BIDS) program in Arizona (AZ) to monitor infecting respiratory pathogens among hospitalized patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) in the AZ border region from September 2010 to the present.
Objective
To present the epidemiology, clinical aspects, and laboratory results of AZ SARI case patients and to describe respiratory viruses in the AZ border region.
Surveillance systems utilizing early indicator of disease activity would be useful for monitoring community disease pattern and facilitating timely decision making on public health interventions in an evidence-based manner. School absenteeism has been previously considered as a possible syndromic approach for monitoring influenza activity. We explored the feasibility and practicability of establishing an electronic school absenteeism surveillance system in Hong Kong for monitoring influenza-like illness (ILI) and other diseases using automatically captured data employing smart card technology.
Objective
We examined the utility of an electronic school absenteeism system for monitoring multiple types of diseases.
Coordinated proactive school closures can help to reduce disease transmission in communities during an influenza pandemic; however, limited information is available about effects of school closures during influenza-like illness (ILI) outbreaks. A rural school district (District A) in Kentucky was closed during January 29-February 1, 2013, in response to an increase in ILI-related student absenteeism.
Objective
We investigated effects of this closure by comparing self-reported illness among household members of students enrolled in District A with 2 adjacent districts (Districts B and C) that remained open during that period.
New York State has implemented a statewide Electronic Clinical Laboratory Reporting System (ECLRS) to which laboratories can electronically submit test results for reportable conditions. The Communicable Disease Electronic Surveillance System (CDESS) was used by 57 Local Health Departments (LHDs) to transfer ECLRS information and initiate investigations. Currently over 98% of licensed clinical labs are reporting via ECLRS. Positive laboratory test results are required to confirm over 80% of communicable diseases and they are often the first indication of a disease. Early detection of disease outbreaks is important for timely implementation of disease prevention and control measures. The space-time permutation scan statistic only requires disease counts, event date and disease location, which are collected from ECLRS and can be used to detect potential disease outbreaks by identifying spatial-temporal lab report clusters.
Objective
This abstract explains how the space-time permutation scan statistic only requires disease counts, event date and disease location, which are collected from ECLRS and can be used to detect potential disease outbreaks by identifying spatial-temporal lab report clusters.
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was tasked with developing methods to determine the relevance of data streams for an integrated global biosurveillance system. We used a novel method of evaluating the effectiveness of data streams called the 'surveillance window'. We defined a surveillance window as the brief period of time when information gathered can be used to assist decision makers in effectively responding to an impending outbreak. Information obtained for data streams beyond this window is deemed to have limited use.
Objective
The goal of this project was to provide an approach and evaluation of data stream utility for integrated, global disease surveillance. This effort is part of a larger project which is developing tools to aid decision-makers with timely information to predict, prepare for, and mitigate the spread of disease.
The Houston Department of Health Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) monitors emergency departments (ED) chief complaints across the Houston metropolitan area, Harris County, and the surrounding jurisdictions by Real-time Outbreak Disease Surveillance (RODS). The influenza-like illnesses (ILI) data is collected by sentinel surveillance provider network of 12 physicians and RODS, an electronic syndromic surveillance database consisting of about 30 EDs in metropolitan Houston. Previous research indicates that there is a relationship between new HIV diagnoses and neighborhood poverty. However, there is limited research on health disparity to investigate the association between influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and social determinants of health (SDH), such as poverty.
Objective
To investigate the association between social determinants of health and influenza-like illnesses in Houston/Harris County and to identify neighborhoods for targeted surveillance or interventions.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has since become a major cause of illness and death in our healthcare setting. Risk factors for HA-MRSA include hospitalization, older age, invasive devices, and residence in long-term care facility, including exposure to antimicrobial agents. HA-MRSA isolates are often resistant to several antimicrobial drug classes in addition to beta-lactams. The CA-MRSA infections usually affects young, healthy persons and associated with sharing towels or athletic equipment, participating in contact sports, living in unsanitary and crowded areas, using illegal intravenous drugs.
Objective
To properly ascertain and assess the indicators responsible for the rising cases of Methicillin-resistant Staphlococcus aureus strains as it concerns community and nosocomial cases.