Bioterrorism

2021 ◽  
pp. 287-296
Author(s):  
Peter Katona
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Bioterrorism Agent ◽  
Public Health Surveillance System

History shows us that individuals have used and likely will continue to use biological agents for terrorism purposes. Bioterrorism agents can be easily disseminated, cause severe disease and high mortality rates if cases are not treated properly, and pose significant challenges for management and response. A robust public health surveillance system that includes laboratory (including routine reportable disease surveillance), syndromic, and environmental surveillance is crucial for detection of the release of a bioterrorism agent and the resulting cases. This detection can then set into motion a robust and comprehensive public health response to minimize morbidity and mortality. A large-scale bioterrorism event would be unprecedented, straining and challenging every facet of medical and public health response and would quickly become a global emergency because of both the potential risk of infection and the shock to the global economy. A robust public health and medical workforce is necessary to respond effectively and efficiently to these types of events.

scholarly journals Cholera Public Health Surveillance System in Cameroon

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moise C. Ngwa ◽  
Song Liang ◽  
Leonard Mbam ◽  
Mouhaman Arabi ◽  
Andrew Teboh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Public Health Surveillance ◽  
National Level ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Rapid Response ◽  
Surveillance And Response ◽  
Public Health Surveillance System

Public health surveillance is essential for early detection and rapid response to cholera outbreaks. In 2003, Cameroon adopted the integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) strategy. We describe cholera surveillance within IDSR-strategy in Cameroon. Data is captured at health facility, forwarded to health district that compiles and directs data to RDPH in paper format. RDPH sends the data to the national level via internet and from there to the WHO. The surveillance system is passive with no data analysis at districts. Thus the goal of IDSR-strategy of data analysis and rapid response at the district has not been met yet.

Tracking antimicrobials dispensed during an anthrax attack: A case study from the New Hampshire anthrax exercise

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Jeanne Tropper, MS, MPH ◽  
Chris Adamski, RN, MSN ◽  
Cynthia Vinion, MEA ◽  
Sanjeeb Sapkota, MBBS, MPH
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New Hampshire ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Response

The Countermeasure and Response Administration (CRA) system is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informatics application developed to track countermeasures, including medical interventions (eg, vaccinations and pharmaceuticals) and nonmedical interventions (eg, patient isolation, quarantine, and personal protective equipment), administered during a public health response. This case study follows the use of CRA as a supplement to paper-based processes during an exercise in which antimicrobials dispensed to individual exposed persons were captured after a simulated bioterrorist attack of anthrax spores. The exercise was conducted by the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services on April 14, 2007.Automated systems like CRA can track when medications are dispensed. The data can then be used for performance metrics, statistics, and in locating victims for follow-up study. Given that this case study was limited to a single location in a relatively rural setting, the authors concluded that more study is needed to compare the feasibility of using an automated system rather than paper-based processes for effectively managing a very large-scale urgent public health response.

scholarly journals Establishing a Plan of Action Implementing Integrated Disease Surveillance in Sudan

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayat Khogali ◽  
Ngozi A. Erondu ◽  
Betiel H. Haile ◽  
Scott J. McNabb
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Public Health Surveillance ◽  
One Health ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Public Health Surveillance System

A recent assessment of the Sudan public health surveillance system found fragmented and siloed disease programs and an overburdened workforce due to vertical systems and inefficient processes. A plan of action was developed to support improving public health surveillance strengthening by: 1) implementing a strategic approach to achieving IHR (2005), 2) implementing One Health and IDSR aims, and 3) establishing an E-surveillance ICT platform for increasing public health surveillance capacity to safely and rapidly detect and report infectious diseases in Sudan.

scholarly journals Global Telemedicine Implementation and Integration Within Health Systems to Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Call to Action

10.2196/18810 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. e18810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Ohannessian ◽  
Tu Anh Duong ◽  
Anna Odone
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
National Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Levels Of Care ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Health Organization

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as a pandemic, with over 720,000 cases reported in more than 203 countries as of 31 March. The response strategy included early diagnosis, patient isolation, symptomatic monitoring of contacts as well as suspected and confirmed cases, and public health quarantine. In this context, telemedicine, particularly video consultations, has been promoted and scaled up to reduce the risk of transmission, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Based on a literature review, the first conceptual framework for telemedicine implementation during outbreaks was published in 2015. An updated framework for telemedicine in the COVID-19 pandemic has been defined. This framework could be applied at a large scale to improve the national public health response. Most countries, however, lack a regulatory framework to authorize, integrate, and reimburse telemedicine services, including in emergency and outbreak situations. In this context, Italy does not include telemedicine in the essential levels of care granted to all citizens within the National Health Service, while France authorized, reimbursed, and actively promoted the use of telemedicine. Several challenges remain for the global use and integration of telemedicine into the public health response to COVID-19 and future outbreaks. All stakeholders are encouraged to address the challenges and collaborate to promote the safe and evidence-based use of telemedicine during the current pandemic and future outbreaks. For countries without integrated telemedicine in their national health care system, the COVID-19 pandemic is a call to adopt the necessary regulatory frameworks for supporting wide adoption of telemedicine.

Public Health Surveillance System

2021 ◽  
pp. 201-220
Author(s):  
Manish Kumar Dwivedi ◽  
Suvashish Kumar Pandey ◽  
Prashant Kumar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Global Coverage ◽  
Public Health Surveillance System

To guard people against some grave infectious disease, the surveillance system is a key performance measure of global public health threats and vulnerability. The diseases surveillance system helps in public health monitor, control, and prevent infectious diseases. Infectious diseases remain major causes of death. It's important to monitor and surveillance worldwide for developing a framework for risk assessment and health regulation. Surveillance systems help us in understanding the factors driving infectious disease and developing new technological aptitudes with modeling, pathogen determination, characterization, diagnostics, and communications. This chapter discussed surveillance system working, progress toward global public healthy society considering perspectives for the future and improvement of infectious disease surveillance without limited and fragmented capabilities, and making even global coverage.

A Large-scale, Rapid Public Health Response to Rabies in an Organ Recipient and the Previously Undiagnosed Organ Donor

2014 ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. Wallace ◽  
D. Stanek ◽  
S. Griese ◽  
D. Krulak ◽  
N. M. Vora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Organ Donor ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Response

scholarly journals The challenges of the outbreak: the Italian COVID-19 integrated surveillance system

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Pezzotti ◽  
O Punzo ◽  
A Bella ◽  
M Del Manso ◽  
A M Urdiales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Health Response

Abstract Background In Italy, the National surveillance of all SARS-CoV-2 laboratory-confirmed cases was established on 27 February 2020, building on a previously existing laboratory network focused on suspected and confirmed COVID-19 severe respiratory infections. Methods The integrated epidemiological and microbiological surveillance systematically collects and analyzes information on all SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases. Regional reference laboratories analyze samples, inform Local Health Authorities of the results and coordinate data flow between cases, hospitals and GPs. Regions provide data through a web interface connected to a dedicated IT platform or by sending a dataset. The Infectious Diseases Department at Istituto Superiore di Sanità processes and analyzes data, producing reports on a daily and weekly basis, as well as indicator analyses based on the monitoring of “phase 2” (post-lockdown). Moreover, mathematical models are constructed daily on these data. Results Since the beginning of the epidemic, the surveillance system recorded 238.901 COVID-19 cases and 33.369 deaths on 19-6. Main challenges were the coordination of different actors, hampered by the decentralization of health to the Regions, and data interpretation due to the delay in the detection of cases and deaths. Besides the COVID-19 surveillance, we planned ad hoc studies and periodic surveys: health care workers, long term care facilities, clusters and red zones, health system resilience monitoring. Conclusions COVID-19 surveillance is an essential tool to inform the public about the epidemic trend and provide support to public health response. We urge upon all relevant stakeholders a reflection on important issues such as defining ethical boundaries for data scavenging during emergencies, how existing laws on data protection could affect record linkage among different existing datasets to assess diseases and other variables for correlation, or which ethical approaches on open data would apply to our setting. Key messages A strong and adequately funded public health system in place allows an efficient response in times of epidemics both in terms of data collection and public health response, policy and decisions. COVID-19 epidemic showed us all the limits of a regionalized health system which was not entirely coordinated between periphery and central institutions.

scholarly journals A roadmap to better COVID-19 testing from the Coronavirus Standards Working Group

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Mercer ◽  
Neil Almond ◽  
Patrick Chain ◽  
Michael Crone ◽  
Alina Deshpande ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Reference Materials ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Coordinated Development ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Large Scale Testing

Abstract Testing has been central to our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the accuracy of testing relies on standards, including reference materials, proficiency testing schemes, and information and reporting guidelines. The use of standards is a simple, inexpensive, and effective method to ensure reliable test results that inform clinical and public health decisions. Here we describe the central role of standards during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they have enabled population-scale screening, genomic surveillance and measures of immune protection measures. Given these benefits, the Coronavirus Standards Working Group (CSWG) was formed to coordinate standards in SARS-CoV-2 testing. This network of scientists has developed best-practices, reference materials, and conducted proficiency studies to harmonize laboratory performance. We propose that this coordinated development of standards should be prioritized as a key early step in the public health response to future pandemics that is necessary for reliable, large-scale testing for infectious disease.

scholarly journals Estimation of the actual incidence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in emergent hotspots: The example of Hokkaido, Japan during February–March 2020

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei R. Akhmetzhanov ◽  
Kenji Mizumoto ◽  
Sung-mok Jung ◽  
Natalie M. Linton ◽  
Ryosuke Omori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Actual Number ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Actual Incidence

AbstractFollowing the first report of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan on 14 February 2020, a surge of cases was observed in Hokkaido during February and March. As of 6 March, 90 cases were diagnosed in Hokkaido. Unfortunately, many infected persons may not have been recognized as cases due to having mild or no symptoms. We therefore estimated the actual number of COVID-19 cases in (i) Hokkaido Prefecture and (ii) Sapporo City using data on cases diagnosed outside these areas. The estimated cumulative incidence in Hokkaido as of 27 February was 2297 cases (95% confidence interval [CI]: 382, 7091) based on data on travelers outbound from Hokkaido. The cumulative incidence in Sapporo City as of 28 February was estimated at 2233 cases (95% CI: 0, 4893) based on the count of confirmed cases within Hokkaido. Both approaches resulted in similar estimates, indicating higher incidence of infections in Hokkaido than were detected by the surveillance system. This quantification of the gap between detected and estimated cases can help inform public health response as it provides insight into the possible scope of undetected transmission.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document