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EPI UPDATE
A weekly publication by the Bureau of Epidemiology
For October 11, 2000
"The reason for collecting, analyzing and disseminating information on a disease is to control that disease. Collection and analysis should not be allowed to consume resources if action does not follow."
--Foege WH et al. Int. J of Epidemiology 1976; 5:29-37.
Richard S. Hopkins, MD, MSPH, Bureau Chief, State Epidemiologist
Don Ward, Surveillance Section Administrator, Epi Update Managing Editor
Jill H. Parker, MSP, Epi Update Editor
Bureau of Epidemiology Frequent Contributors:
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Steven Wiersma, MD, MPH,
Deputy State Epidemiologist |
Jodi Baldy, MPH,
Biological Scientist IV |
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Ursula E. Bauer, PhD,
Chronic Disease Epidemiologist |
Lisa Conti, DVM, MPH,
State Public Health Veterinarian |
Regional Epidemiologists:
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Dolly Katz, PhD, MPH,
SE Florida |
Roger Sanderson, RN, MA,
SW Florida |
Carina Blackmore, MS Vet. Med., PhD,
NE Florida Carina Blackmore, MS Vet. Med., PhD, |
Zuber Mulla, MSPH,
Central Florida Carina Blackmore, MS Vet. Med., PhD, |
Please print out this material and share with epidemiology staff, county health department directors, administrators, medical directors, nursing directors, environmental health directors and others with an interest in information of this type. Thank you.
The Bureau of Epidemiology is available 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week for consultation at our main number (850/245-4401) PLEASE NOTE:
Consultation after 5 p.m. & on weekends is intended for emergencies.
In this issue:
1. Merlin Web-based Disease Reporting System Goes Live in Four Pilot Counties
2. Communicable Disease Epidemiology Regional Training to be Held October 26th - 27th in West Palm Beach
3. Weekly Arbovirus Activity Summary
4. Weekly Disease Table: Week 40
1. Merlin Web-based Disease Reporting System Goes Live in Four Pilot Counties
Yesterday marked a milestone in the development of the Merlin web-based disease reporting system, which will become the standard disease reporting system for the Bureau of Epidemiology. Four pilot counties went "live" with Merlin, which will replace the current paper-based disease reporting system in all counties beginning January 1, 2001. Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota, and Collier counties have provided recommendations and helped resolve glitches in the system during the development phase. We really appreciate their assistance and enthusiasm with this project.
Training for the Merlin system will be regularly scheduled through December
in the field as well as in Tallahassee. The following Fridays have been set
aside for Merlin training in Tallahassee: October 20, November 17, December 1,
December 8, December 15, December 22, and December 29. Please contact Don Ward if you would like to register for a training session in Tallahassee. Regional Merlin training sessions will be scheduled within the next week and dates will be provided in future issues of Epi Update. In addition, an on-line tutorial is being developed and will be available prior to full-scale implementation of the Merlin system in all 67 counties.
Merlin will replace the existing paper-based disease reporting system
as of January 1, 2001. Counties still requiring Merlin-compatible computers
should notify the Merlin help desk immediately. Also, please note that every county should have the most recent version Internet Explorer (5.5) loaded onto computers in preparation for statewide implementation of Merlin. Please contact your county MIS staff for assistance with downloading the newest version of Internet Explorer.
Additional questions or comments should be e-mailed to the Merlin Helpdesk. Should you need to contact someone immediately, please call Don Ward or Kathryn Snavely.
2. Communicable Disease Epidemiology Regional Training to be Held October 26th - 27th in West Palm Beach
Melanie Black, LCSW, Bureau of Epidemiology
The Bureau of Epidemiology is pleased to announce the next Principles of Epidemiology training program for county health department staff members, which will be held in West Palm Beach, Florida on October 26-27, 2000. The target audiences for the regional training programs are county health department staff members and partner agencies who are involved in epidemiology. County health directors and administrators are welcome to attend.
This program will provide an overview of epidemiological principles such as disease surveillance and reporting and communicable disease outbreak investigation. On-line registration will be available through October 20, 2000 on the Bureau of Epidemiology web page.
Space is limited to 45, so please register as soon as possible. Please note that the training session could be cancelled due to low registration.
Information will be provided in the Epi Update and on the Bureau of Epidemiology web page. We intend to offer one other training session this year in southwest Florida. If you are interested in hosting a training session or have questions related to this program, please feel free to contact Melanie Black, LCSW,
Professional Training Coordinator for the Bureau of Epidemiology.
3. Weekly Arbovirus Activity Summary
Robin Oliveri, Arbovirus Surveillance Coordinator and Dr. Lisa Conti, State Public Health Veterinarian
There are currently no Arbovirus Medical Alerts issued for the state. During the period September 30 through October 6, 2000, the following arbovirus* activity was recorded for Florida:
(*Mosquito-borne virus including St. Louis encephalitis virus, Eastern Equine encephalitis virus, West Nile encephalitis virus and dengue virus)
Human: Two dengue cases from Dade county have been confirmed by the Bureau of Laboratories Tampa branch laboratory. For year-to-date, 3 dengue cases were identified (residents of Punam, Volusia, and Leon counties, respectively). (Source: county health departments and Department of Health (DOH) laboratories from medical providers)
Sentinel chickens: Ten sentinel chicken seroconversions to SLE were identified (543 chickens tested). (Source: DOH Tampa Laboratory from mosquito control agencies and county health departments). See attached figure.
4. Weekly Disease Table: Week 40
County-Confirmed Cases, Sorted Alphabetically by Disease
(NR represents years that the disease lacked status as a reportable condition)
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DISEASE |
1997 TO DATE |
1998 TO DATE |
1999 TO DATE |
3 YEAR AVERAGE
TO DATE |
1999 TOTAL CASES |
2000 TO DATE |
|
Anthrax |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Botulism |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
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Brucellosis |
0 |
3 |
1 |
1.3 |
3 |
2 |
|
Campylobacteriosis |
762 |
591 |
697 |
683.3 |
988 |
726 |
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Ciguatera |
9 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
2 |
12 |
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Cryptosporidiosis |
103 |
122 |
122 |
115.7 |
180 |
114 |
|
Cyclosporiasis |
66 |
6 |
3 |
25 |
5 |
6 |
|
Dengue |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
Diphtheria |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
E. coli O157:H7 |
40 |
35 |
44 |
39.7 |
55 |
71 |
|
E. coli , other (known serotype) |
5 |
5 |
13 |
7.7 |
15 |
12 |
|
Ehrlichiosis, Human |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1.3 |
2 |
4 |
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Encephalitis, Eastern Equine |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1.3 |
3 |
0 |
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Encephalitis, St. Louis |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1.3 |
4 |
0 |
|
Encephalitis, post-infectious1 |
9 |
5 |
3 |
5.7 |
5 |
5 |
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Encephalitis, other (known organism) |
8 |
12 |
6 |
8.7 |
14 |
6 |
|
Giardiasis (acute) |
1210 |
1065 |
865 |
1046.7 |
1322 |
999 |
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Haemophilus influenzae , invasive1 |
20 |
32 |
38 |
30 |
53 |
44 |
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Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy) |
0 |
4 |
3 |
2.3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Hantavirus Infection |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome |
4 |
11 |
7 |
7.3 |
7 |
9 |
|
Hemorrhagic Fever |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hepatitis A |
398 |
385 |
525 |
436 |
796 |
386 |
|
Hepatitis B |
287 |
306 |
309 |
300.7 |
528 |
366 |
|
Hepatitis C |
NR |
NR |
37 |
NR |
55 |
30 |
|
Hepatitis Non-A, Non-B |
68 |
66 |
5 |
46.3 |
10 |
6 |
|
Hepatitis, perinatal B |
NR |
NR |
2 |
NR |
|
3 |
|
Hepatitis, unspecified |
6 |
15 |
10 |
2 |
17 |
8 |
|
Hepatitis, +HBsAg, pregnant woman |
NR |
NR |
221 |
NR |
448 |
318 |
|
Lead Poisoning |
1078 |
1393 |
1304 |
1258.3 |
1810 |
733 |
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Legionellosis |
19 |
25 |
17 |
20.3 |
27 |
38 |
|
Leptospirosis |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.3 |
1 |
1 |
|
Listeriosis |
NR |
NR |
24 |
NR |
37 |
24 |
|
Lyme Disease |
25 |
34 |
26 |
28.3 |
51 |
38 |
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Malaria |
59 |
48 |
64 |
57 |
97 |
62 |
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Measles |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2.7 |
2 |
1 |
|
Meningococcal Disease (N. meningitidis) |
117 |
101 |
85 |
101 |
122 |
89 |
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Meningitis, Group B Streptococci |
12 |
14 |
11 |
12.3 |
14 |
14 |
|
Meningitis, Haemophilus influenzae1 |
9 |
11 |
12 |
10.7 |
13 |
5 |
|
Meningitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae |
60 |
64 |
77 |
67 |
97 |
71 |
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Meningitis, Listeria monocytogenes |
2 |
4 |
7 |
4.3 |
14 |
5 |
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Meningitis, other bacterial (including unspecified) |
47 |
44 |
46 |
45.7 |
62 |
74 |
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Mercury Poisoning |
2 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
|
Mumps |
8 |
10 |
3 |
7 |
6 |
2 |
|
Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Pertussis |
54 |
35 |
65 |
51.3 |
85 |
41 |
|
Plague |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Poliomyelitis |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Psittacosis |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0.3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Q Fever2 |
NR |
NR |
NR |
NR |
0 |
0 |
|
Rabies, Animal |
220 |
158 |
149 |
175.7 |
186 |
128 |
|
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1.7 |
2 |
1 |
|
Rubella, including congenital |
3 |
4 |
0 |
2.3 |
1 |
3 |
|
Salmonellosis |
1561 |
1880 |
1934 |
1791.7 |
3071 |
1911 |
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Shigellosis |
1039 |
1656 |
1047 |
1247.3 |
1491 |
976 |
|
Smallpox |
NR |
NR |
0 |
NR |
0 |
0 |
|
Staphylococcus aureus, (GISA/VISA) |
NR |
NR |
0 |
NR |
0 |
0 |
|
Staphylococcus aureus, (GRSA/VRSA) |
NR |
NR |
0 |
NR |
0 |
0 |
|
Streptococcal Disease, invasive Group A |
28 |
35 |
53 |
38.7 |
94 |
107 |
|
Streptococcus pneumoniae , invasive disease, drug resistant |
154 |
319 |
422 |
298.3 |
701 |
761 |
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Tetanus |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
Toxoplasmosis |
5 |
10 |
13 |
9.3 |
17 |
7 |
|
Typhoid Fever |
8 |
12 |
23 |
14.3 |
23 |
9 |
|
Vibrio cholerae (serogrp O1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Vibrio cholerae (serogrp Non-O1) |
7 |
6 |
9 |
7.3 |
10 |
4 |
|
Vibrio vulnificus |
13 |
23 |
16 |
17.3 |
23 |
6 |
|
Vibrio other (including unspecified) |
22 |
55 |
31 |
36 |
48 |
32 |
|
Yellow Fever |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 Haemophilus influenzae can be the agent responsible for disease under three of the reportable conditions listed-: "Haemophilus influenzae, invasive" and under "Encephalitis, post infectious." Cases of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis are reported under "Meningitis, H. influenzae."
2 The reportable disease rule was revised in June 2000. Amebiasis and Toxic Shock Syndrome (Staphylococcal and Streptococcal) were deleted from the list of reportable diseases. Q Fever was added to the list of reportable diseases.
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