Poster

Brucellosis, endemic in Armenia, is recognized as a significant public health challenge with a major economic burden. To address the regional threat of brucellosis for both animal health and public health, the œOne Health Surveillance of Brucellosis in Armenia” was initiated in December 2016. The project aims to develop scientifically sound strategies and policies for sustainable control of the disease.

Objective:

To understand the disease burden, we studied the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and associated costs for brucellosis patients hospitalized in Nork hospital in 2016.

Erysipeloid is a zoonotic bacterial infection transmitted to humans from animals. Symptoms include inflamed joints and skin; there is also a generalized type of the infection in which bacteria spread through the lymphatic and blood vessels, leading to the emergence of widespread skin lesions and the formation of secondary foci of infection in internal organs. Morbidity has no age or gender specifics; there is summer and autumn seasonality. The agent of the infection - Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae can be found in many domestic and wild animals. Wild rodents and ectoparasites play an essential role in spreading the disease and serve as a source of infection contaminating the environment.

Objective:

The goal of this study was to characterize the epidmiological, geographic, and historical characteristics of erysipeloid outbreaks in the Republic of Armenia.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) rates have tripled for Missouri residents in the past three years. NAS is a condition infants suffer soon after birth due to withdrawal after becoming opioid-dependent in the womb. NAS has significant immediate health concerns and can have long term effects on child development and quality of life. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MODHSS) maintains the Patient Abstract System (PAS), a database of inpatient, emergency room, and outpatient records collected from non-federal hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers throughout the state. PAS records contain extensive information about the visit, patient, and diagnosis. When examining 2015 annual PAS data for NAS-associated discharges, Missouri analysts noticed a greater than 50% increase in discharges, even larger than anticipated in light of the opioid epidemic. Provisional 2016 data produced similar high rates, dispelling the notion that the trend was a transitional problem. In fact, provisional 2016 rates are 115% higher than NAS rates in 2015. In contrast, percentage change of opioid misuse emergency department visits (as defined by MODHSS) for Missouri women age 18-44 was +13% in 2015 and -12% in 2016.

Objective:

In this analysis we examine Missouri NAS discharge rates with special focus on the ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM transition and changes in code descriptions.

HIV testing remains the mainstay of optimal HIV care and is pivotal to control and prevention of the disease, however efforts to attain optimal testing levels have been undermined by low HIV testing especially in developing countries. Botswana in response, amended its Public Health Act in September 2013 but the effect of this action on facility based HIV testing rates has not been evaluated.

Objective:

We aimed to assess the effect of the amended Public Health act of 2013 on facility-based HIV testing in Princess Marina Hospital.

HIV and AIDS is not a new problem to global community and human civilization. Though much efforts had been taken yet its devastating effects can be seen in many areas like human productivity, public health, human rights etc. Nepal is experiencing a concentrated epidemic of HIV with prevalence at, or over, 5 percent in certain high-risk groups, such as intravenous drug users (IDUs), MSM, FSW, and migrant laborers in India who go to cities such as Mumbai. The possibility of transmission of HIV infection from these high-risk groups to the general population is a serious health concern. Nepal’s vulnerability to HIV has increased because of several factors including poverty coupled with the lack of employment opportunities, large-scale migration and ten years of conflict. IBBS survey conducted in 2008 in mid-Terai regions reported the prevalence of HIV among seasonal migrants who had sexual contact with female sex workers in India was 2.6% which indicates unsafe sex being one of the major factors of HIV transmission among the seasonal migrants. Similar study conducted among seasonal migrants reported that only 62% used condom during sex with sex worker and HIV infection was found only on those who visited Mumbai (6.1%) and had sex with sex workers without using condom. Seasonal migration for income generation in Mid-Terai part of Nepal is present since the time immemorial. People migrate to India generally to Bihar, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi states. Risk of HIV transmission among the seasonal migrants is very high. Separated from their spouses and adrift from social bindings, many to these migrants exercise unsafe sexual practices. Regular monitoring and health assistance to this population is lacking, especially in the case of those who migrate to neighboring countries like India, compared to those who receive authorized permission to work in other countries.

Objective:

The objective was to assess the risk of HIV infection among the seasonal labour migrants of Nepal.

The mortality monitoring system (initiated in 2009 during the influenza A(H1N1) pandemic) is a collaboration between the Centre for Infectious Disease Control (CIb) of National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and Statistics Netherlands. The system monitors nation-wide reported number of deaths (population size 2017: 17 million) from all causes, as cause of death information is not available real-time. Data is received from Statistics Netherlands by weekly emails.

Objective:

Weekly numbers of deaths are monitored to increase the capacity to deal with both expected and unusual (disease) events such as pandemic influenza, other infections and non-infectious incidents. The monitoring information can potentially be used to detect, track and estimate the impact of an outbreak or incident on all-cause mortality.

Influenza is a priority in Armenia. There are two influenza surveillance systems in Armenia: population and sentinel. The medical center (MC) has been included in sentinel surveillance since 2012. In 2015 a study was undertaken to identify gaps in severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) sentinel surveillance system in Surb Astvatsamayr MC.

Objective:

The goal of this study was to identify gaps in the severe acute respiratory infection sentinel surveillance system at Surb Astvatsamayr Medical Center.

Under the CDC STD Surveillance Network (SSuN) Part B grant, WA DOH is testing eICR of sexually transmitted infections (STI) with a clinical partner. Existing standard vocabulary codes were identified to represent previously-identified information gaps, or the need for new codes or concepts was identified.

Objective:

Previous research identified data gaps between traditional paper-based STI notifiable condition reporting and pilot electronic initial case reporting (eICR) relying on Continuity of Care Documents (CCDs) exported from our clinical partner’s electronic health record (EHR) software. Structured data capture is needed for automatic processing of eICR data imported into public health repositories and surveillance systems, similar to electronic laboratory reporting (ELR). Coding data gaps (between paper and electronic case reports) using standardized vocabularies will allow integration of additional questions into EHR or other data collection systems and may allow creation of standard Clinical Data Architecture (CDA) templates, Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) panels, or Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) resources. Furthermore, identifying data gaps can inform improvements to other standards including nationwide standardization efforts for notifiable conditions.

The Jermuk region of the Zangezur mezofocus is part of the transcaucasian highland focus of plague. This enzootic area is polyvectorial. The mezofocus has rich fauna with approximately eight species of fleas: Callopsylla caspia, Ctenophthalmus wladimiri, Frontopsylla elata, Amphipsylla rossica, Leptopsylla taschenbergi, Nosopsyllus consimilis, Palaeopsylla vartanovi, and Doratopsylla dampfi. Ct. wladimiri is the most abundant. However, special attention should be paid to C. caspia and N. consimilis as they are the only vectors specific for Yersinia pestis. In these fleas, the bacteria form a plug that blocks digestion and induces starvation. Afflicted fleas bite frenziedly in an effort to feed and the pressure that results releases bacteria from the plug, infecting a new host. Fleas infected with plague during an epizootic are a serious threat to humans, especially when in contact with synanthropic rodents. A survey was conducted to catalog fleas in the foci.

Objective:

The goal was to determine the impact of flea number variation on the epizootic situation in the Jermuk region.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (NYC DOHMH) Division of Disease Control (DDC) conducts surveillance of more than 90 specific diseases and conditions and relies on both provider reports and electronic laboratory reports for data. While laboratory reports provide vital laboratory data and represent the majority of the surveillance data that DOHMH receives, they are not always timely or sufficient to confirm a case. Provider reports, in contrast, contain data often not available in laboratory reports and can be more prompt than laboratory reports. Health care providers submit provider reports through multiple channels, including through mailing or faxing paper forms, phone calls, and Reporting Central (RC). In 2016, providers used RC to submit ~51,000 provider reports.

Objective:

As part of New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (NYC DOHMH) efforts to improve provider reporting, the Division of Disease Control surveyed and conducted focus groups with users of a web-based reporting portal called Reporting Central (RC) to learn about their experience with submitting provider reports through RC and the impact of their experience on data submission.