Friday, April 16, 2004

         This Week in the News

Foege, WH., et al., 
International Journal of Epidemiology
1976; 5:29-37

A R T I C L E S

This call was conducted on Friday, April 9, 2004. For interested parties who were unable to participate, the following is a brief rendition of the events discussed.

Announcements. Don Ward announced that the search for a state epidemiologist is on-going but appears to be drawing closer to completion.

The bioterrorism grant turnaround timing will change and Tallahassee staff will be working with regional co-chairs to resolve any issues resulting from the changes. The new funding dates will be June 30 through July 1.

Region IV HRSA/CDC Bioterrorism Meeting. Karen Wheeler attended the regional conference in Mississippi as a presenter on surveillance techniques in Florida, using Merlin and EpiCom as examples. She reported many of the attendees appeared impressed that Florida's capabilities are far advanced in real-time disease reporting, and that they also admired our use of GIS.

Florida EIS Program. Alan Rowan provided an update on activities related to recruitment of the new class of Fellows. Over 140 applications were received to fill six openings, and interviews are being conducted presently. The counties which applied are also being contacted to provide a match. The class of 2001-02 graduated in Tampa last week. 

Training Announcements. Melanie Black stated the next Grand Rounds would be held on Tuesday, April 27th at 11:00 a.m., with Lillian Kigonya presenting on her Analysis of Surveillance Data for Heamophilus influenza Invasive Disease 1992-2003 with emphasis on the adult population greater than 65 years of age.

A well-rounded program of events is scheduled for the upcoming statewide epidemiology seminar in Lake Mary next month. Any of the 30 counties selected for a scholarship should contact Cassandra Pease at SC 2054444 with the name of the attendee and other pertinent information. The registration website is operational and registrants should note that payment is by separate form to AHEC.

Set-up for the poster competition will commence immediately after lunch this year, with a numbered table for each poster. For one hour prior to the evening reception, judges will have the ability to review the posters and interview the competitors. Deadline for submission of title and abstract is May 3rd, so e-mail questions and/or information to Karen Wheeler at karen_wheeler@doh.state.fl.us or phone her at 850.245.4444., ext. 2401. All posters will be accepted.

The next bi-weekly conference call is scheduled for Friday, April 23rd at 10:00 a.m. If you have an item for the agenda or would like to speak, contact Melanie Black, MSW, Professional Training Coordinator via email or phone at melanie_black@doh.state.fl.us  or at 850.245.4444, ext. 2448.
 

• Pre-pregnancy Overweight and Obesity Among Florida Women
• Breastfeeding Among Florida Women
• Indicators for Breastfeeding Initiation During the Hospital Stay Among Florida Women
• Indicators for Duration of Breastfeeding Among Florida Women
• Infant Sleep Positions in Florida
• Infant Exposure to Secondhand Cigarette Smoke in Florida
• WIC Participation Among Women in Florida
• Medicaid Participation Among Women in Florida
• Early Prenatal Care in Florida
• Low Birth Weight Outcomes Among Florida Women
• Domestic Abuse During Pregnancy Among Florida Women
• Birth Control Use Among Florida Women With Unintended Pregnancies
• Pregnancy Intendedness Among Florida Women
• Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy Among Florida Women
• Folic Acid Use Among Florida Women
• Well Baby Checkups in Florida

For further information concerning these reports, contact Helen Marshall, at 850.245.4444, ext. 2415 or Curt Miller at ext. 2407.
 

There will be two new activities added to the program this year. The evening of May 17^th there will be a dessert reception and the opportunity to pre-register for the first day, as well as a “County Showcase” which will provide county health departments the opportunity to bring educational resources they have developed for healthcare professionals, and share them with other county health departments. These items will be on display throughout the seminar. If your county would like to participate, please contact Melanie Black. 

The poster session and reception will be held the evening of May 18^th.  The event will be judged again this year, with awards given for the best infectious disease poster, as well as for the best presentation by a Florida EIS fellow, the best chronic disease poster and, finally, the best county health department display. The winners will be announced at the following day’s luncheon. Another added feature to this year's program will be the “Golden Partnership” awards, presented to partners which have made significant contributions supporting disease surveillance and epidemiology.

To take advantage of the special group rate ($71.00), be sure to make your hotel reservations early. Call the Marriott directly at 407.995.1100 or through their reservation line at 800.228-9290. Refer the booking agent to the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology Seminar to receive the group rate. You can also reserve accommodations through the hotel website at www.marriott.com/MCOML. Click on the red button labeled Reserve a Room, enter the dates, and then scroll down to the box labeled “Group Code.” Enter FBEFBEA to receive the group rate and follow the instructions to complete the arrangement. 

Further information can be found on the Bureau of Epidemiology Internet website http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/epi/conf/training.html, or contact Melanie Black at the Bureau of Epidemiology in Tallahassee at 850.245.4444, ext. 2448.
 

His tenure in state employment has carried him beyond statistics and into epidemiology. Before joining the Florida Department of Health, Curt was employed at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration where he managed and compiled hospital inpatient and outpatient data. Curt worked closely with data management teams at the clinical level, as well as with agency data managers to assure the collection and compilation of clean, accurate data with which to build some of the largest, richest datasets in current use.

Upon reporting to the Bureau of Epidemiology in 2000, Curt’s first project was the Perinatal Periods of Risk (PPOR), An Assessment Approach to Understanding Fetal and Infant Deaths in Florida, 1995 – 1998. The method he used was developed by CityMatch, an organization of urban health department programs headquartered at the University of Nebraska. Work on this project was undertaken with extensive input from leading epidemiologists. The published document remains the only such PPOR analysis of statewide linked birth-death cohort data. Since then, Curt's major focus has been the Florida Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and the Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) projects. His reports can be found on the Bureau of Epidemiology Website at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/disease_ctrl/epi/topics/pubs.htm. 

Curt also has a degree in music performance for guitar, and enjoys reading the works of Shakespeare in his spare time.

To contact Curt, e-mail him at curt_miller@doh.state.fl.us or by calling 850.245.4444, ext. 2407.
 

The primer will be free to all health care professionals and contains charts, scenarios and a continuing medical education section. It is also being translated into Spanish. Printed copies of the primer can be obtained by emailing your name, mailing address and telephone number, as well as the number of copies requested, to Dr. Eileen Parish at eileen.parish@cfsan.fda.gov or Howard Seltzer at howard.seltzer@cfsan.fda.gov. The second edition primer is also be available online in Adobe PDF format at http://www.ama-assn.org/go/foodborne.
 

►Grand Rounds Set for April 27th

Bureau of Epidemiology Grand Rounds Program
Tuesday, April 27, 2004 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EST
Topic: Analysis of surveillance data for Heamophilus influenza invasive disease 1992-2003 with emphasis on the adult population greater than 65 years of age.
Presenter: Lilian Kigonya, MB.Ch.B MPH, Bureau of Epidemiology, Florida Department of Health 

Invasive Heamophilus influenza disease is reportable in Florida and surveillance includes monitoring for types of disease and mortality. Nationally, cases of invasive Heamophilus influenza among children declined dramatically in the 1990s after the introduction of the conjugate pediatric vaccine. The other traditional risk group for infection with Heamophilus influenza is the elderly and because Florida has a large population of elderly residents, we looked at morbidity caused by Heamophilus influenza in that age group for the years 1992 to 2003.  

Heamophilus Influenza surveillance data was retrieved from Merlin, the web-based electronic reporting system of Florida. The data set Included 891 reported cases of Heamophilus influenza invasive disease for the years 1992-2003. The highest proportion of cases (46%) was seen in adults aged 65 and older, followed by children aged 4 years and younger (22%) with the lowest (5%) in those aged 5 years to 14 years. There has been an increase in the rate of H. influenzae invasive disease cases among adults aged 65. Evidence suggests immunization against H. Influenza type B among children indirectly prevents adult invasive disease. The results from our surveillance data did not support this hypothesis. 

Additional Information: 
The grand rounds presentation will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, April 27, 2004. PowerPoint slides and the dial-in number will be available on the Bureau of Epidemiology intranet Website on Monday, March 29. CEUs will be provided for nursing. Please remember you must complete the entire registration form including the evaluation and test questions. Registration for CEUs will be accepted March 30-April 1, 2004. Registrations received prior to the beginning of the program will not be accepted. If additional information is needed, contact Melanie Black, MSW, Professional Training Coordinator at 850.245.4444 ext. 2448, SunCom 205.4444 ext. 2448 or email Melanie_Black@doh.state.fl.us
 

1. When you access the Epi Update, which type of article do you generally turn to first?

38% said outbreak investigations
25% said latest epi news from around the globe
10% said weekly statistical data and reports
6% said training opportunities
4% said bi-week conference call notes

2. Do you find the Epi Update easy to access?

97% said yes
3% said no

3.  If you've never contributed an article to the journal, please tell us why.

39% said never considered it
23% said reasons other than listed
12% said nothing interesting to contribute

4. If a new column were added, what kind of information would you most like it to present?

24% said epi how-to methods
15% more articles from CHDs
15% said epi news from around the nation and world
14% said bioterrorism news
9% epidemiological studies
6% said policy updates
5% said more info on training
4% said environmental issues

5.  Are there any articles you feel could be removed from the journal?

73% said they derived some benefit from most of the articles
10% said other
7% said meet the staff series

6.  Would you like to see a change in the number of articles concerning epi matters outside the state of Florida?

54% said the number should remain the same, but main focus of the journal should still be Florida
37% said more, that what goes on in the rest of the world impacts us as well

7. How often do you read the Epi Update?

44% said every week
38% said most of the time
11% said maybe twice a month

8. How thoroughly do you read each issue?

44% said most of the articles
40% said just what interests them
14% said every article

9. If you're not a regular reader, what keeps you from reading Epi Update?

21% said no time
37% said other issues impact their decision

10. Have you recommended Epi Update to someone else within the past year?

46% said yes
54% said no

Based on the answers to these questions as well as additional comments offered by the respondents, readers will see small changes to the journal in upcoming issues.

One thing will not change, though, and that's our desire to publish a journal of epidemiological news and insight that is topical, stimulating, and of high journalistic quality. As we mark our second full year of existence on the Internet, we acknowledge that there will be occasional errors along the way. Foremost in our minds, however, is our commitment to bringing readers a plethora of reliable information which can be of assistance in the battle against infectious diseases.
 

Poster presentations give conference attendees a great opportunity to share research with colleagues and friends. Examples of poster topics include results of an outbreak investigation, new prevention programs at the local level or new laboratory methods in disease control. The session also presents an opportunity to demonstrate new computer and Web-based systems related to public health. 

Format for posters will follow the basic scientific paper outline, where applicable: 

Background – the problem under investigation or hypothesis

Methodology – the experimental methods used, including type of study, number of cases, etc.

Results – a summary of essential results

Conclusions – summary of findings, supported by your results (the conclusions should be numbered if multiple points are presented). 

The poster session and reception will occur the first evening of the seminar. Posters can be displayed in a three-fold form board format or any other appropriate conference style. Whichever method you choose, be sure to have a primary and secondary point of contact for presenting your poster. Each presenter will be responsible for ensuring his or her display is set up prior to the beginning of the session, and removed promptly afterward. Technical assistance will be available through Bureau of Epidemiology staff. 

If you would like to participate, contact Karen Wheeler at 850.245.4444, ext. 2401 or via e-mail at karen_wheeler@doh.state.fl.us no later than May 3.
 

The Bureau of Epidemiology encourages Epi Update readers to not only register on the EpiCom system at https://www.epicomfl.net but to browse EpiCom frequently and contribute public health observations related to any suspicious or unusual occurrences or circumstances, as appropriate. EpiCom is the primary method of communication between the Bureau of Epidemiology and other state medical agencies during emergency situations.
 

WN Virus activity: There were two seroconversions to WN virus reported this week in sentinel chickens from Indian River (3/25) and Manatee (3/30) counties. So far this year, there have been 55 seroconversions to WN virus in 10 counties, two WN-confirmed dead birds from Marion and Miami-Dade counties, four WN-positive live birds from three counties and one WN-confirmed horse from Polk County. To date, 16 counties have reported confirmed WN virus activity this year. 

SLE Virus activity: None this week. So far this year, five sentinel chickens from Lee County have tested positive for SLE. 

EEE Virus activity: There were four seroconversions to EEE virus reported this week in sentinel chickens from Walton (2/25x3, 3/16) County. A live blue jay (captured 3/23) was reported EEE positive from Walton County. To date, 15 sentinel chickens, three horses and six live birds have tested positive for EEE virus, for a total of nine counties reporting EEE virus activity this year. 

Highlands J Virus activity: There were nine seroconversions to HJ virus reported this week in sentinel chickens from Hillsborough (3/16), Orange (3/12, 3/15x2), Volusia (3/15x2, 3/22) and Walton (3/15x2) counties. To date, there have been ten seroconversions to Highlands J virus in sentinel chickens from four counties

See the web page for maps and summary information on 2003 activity at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/hsee/arbo/index.htm.

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