Inappropriate Administration of Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis, Cook County, Illinois, USA.

Administration of rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) is expensive and time-consuming. In suburban Cook County, Illinois, USA, administration of 55.5% of PEP treatments did not follow Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guidelines. Health department consultation lowered the odds of inappropriate PEP administration by 87%. Providers should consult their health department before prescribing PEP.

Using an Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance System to Evaluate Reporting of Potential Rabies Exposures, Illinois, 2013-2015.

OBJECTIVES: Mandatory reporting of potential rabies exposures and initiation of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) allow local health authorities to monitor PEP administration for errors. Our objectives were to use an emergency department (ED) syndromic surveillance system to (1) estimate reporting compliance for exposure to rabies in suburban Cook County, Illinois, and (2) initiate interventions to improve reporting and reassess compliance. METHODS: We queried ED records from 45 acute care hospitals in Cook County and surrounding areas from January 1, 2013, through June 30, 2015, for chief complaints or discharge diagnoses pertaining to rabies, PEP, or contact with a wild mammal (eg, bat, raccoon, skunk, fox, or coyote). We matched patients with ≥1 ED visit for potential rabies exposure to people with potential rabies exposure reported to the Cook County Department of Public Health. We considered nonmatches to have unreported exposures. We then initiated active surveillance in July 2015, disseminated education on reporting requirements in August and September 2015, and reassessed reporting completeness from July 2015 through February 2016. RESULTS: Of 248 patients with rabies-related ED visits from January 2013 through June 2015, 63 (25.4%) were reported. After interventions were implemented to increase reporting compliance, 53 of 98 (54.1%) patients with rabies-related ED visits from July 2015 through February 2016 were reported. Patients with ED visits for potential rabies exposure were twice as likely to be reported postintervention than preintervention (risk ratio = 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6-2.8). The volume of potential rabies exposure cases reported to the health department from July 2015 through February 2016 increased by 252% versus the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: Potential rabies exposures and PEP initiation are underreported in suburban Cook County. ED syndromic surveillance records can be used to estimate reporting compliance and conduct active surveillance.

Measles Outbreak in a Child Care Center, Cook County, Illinois, 2015.

BACKGROUND: During January-February 2015, Cook County Department of Public Health led an investigation of a measles outbreak predominantly affecting infants at a child care center who were too young for routine immunization with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. METHODS: Measles cases and contacts were investigated by Illinois public health officials. Cases were isolated for 4 days after rash onset. Exposed healthcare workers and child care center staff were required to provide documentation of receipt of 2 doses of MMR vaccine or laboratory evidence of immunity to return to work. Susceptible contacts were actively monitored for 21 days after exposure and provided postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) if certain criteria were met. RESULTS: Fifteen confirmed measles cases were identified; 12 (80%) occurred in infants who were attendees of a child care center. Clinical misdiagnosis of 1 case allowed for continued transmission within the center. Twelve (86%) of 14 exposed infants at the child care center were diagnosed with measles; no other attendees or staff were infected. Five cases visited outpatient pediatric clinics during their infectious period, exposing 33 infants. Six exposed child care center staff and 3 healthcare workers did not have documentation of immunity available and were excluded from work until this was obtained. No healthcare-associated transmission was identified. Ninety-one contacts were actively monitored and 20 received PEP. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak underscores the vulnerability of infants to measles, the need for early consideration of measles in susceptible patients presenting with a febrile rash illness, and the importance of immunity among individuals working closely with infants.

New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase-producing carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli associated with exposure to duodenoscopes.

IMPORTANCE: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) producing the New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamase (NDM) are rare in the United States, but have the potential to add to the increasing CRE burden. Previous NDM-producing CRE clusters have been attributed to person-to-person transmission in health care facilities. OBJECTIVE: To identify a source for, and interrupt transmission of, NDM-producing CRE in a northeastern Illinois hospital. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Outbreak investigation among 39 case patients at a tertiary care hospital in northeastern Illinois, including a case-control study, infection control assessment, and collection of environmental and device cultures; patient and environmental isolate relatedness was evaluated with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Following identification of a likely source, targeted patient notification and CRE screening cultures were performed. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Association between exposure and acquisition of NDM-producing CRE; results of environmental cultures and organism typing. RESULTS: In total, 39 case patients were identified from January 2013 through December 2013, 35 with duodenoscope exposure in 1 hospital. No lapses in duodenoscope reprocessing were identified; however, NDM-producing Escherichia coli was recovered from a reprocessed duodenoscope and shared more than 92% similarity to all case patient isolates by PFGE. Based on the case-control study, case patients had significantly higher odds of being exposed to a duodenoscope (odds ratio [OR], 78 [95% CI, 6.0-1008], P < .001). After the hospital changed its reprocessing procedure from automated high-level disinfection with ortho-phthalaldehyde to gas sterilization with ethylene oxide, no additional case patients were identified. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this investigation, exposure to duodenoscopes with bacterial contamination was associated with apparent transmission of NDM-producing E coli among patients at 1 hospital. Bacterial contamination of duodenoscopes appeared to persist despite the absence of recognized reprocessing lapses. Facilities should be aware of the potential for transmission of bacteria including antimicrobial-resistant organisms via this route and should conduct regular reviews of their duodenoscope reprocessing procedures to ensure optimal manual cleaning and disinfection.

First confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in the United States, updated information on the epidemiology of MERS-CoV infection, and guidance for the public, clinicians, and public health authorities - May 2014.

Since mid-March 2014, the frequency with which cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection have been reported has increased, with the majority of recent cases reported from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, the frequency with which travel-associated MERS cases have been reported and the number of countries that have reported them to the World Health Organization (WHO) have also increased. The first case of MERS in the United States, identified in a traveler recently returned from Saudi Arabia, was reported to CDC by the Indiana State Department of Health on May 1, 2014, and confirmed by CDC on May 2. A second imported case of MERS in the United States, identified in a traveler from Saudi Arabia having no connection with the first case, was reported to CDC by the Florida Department of Health on May 11, 2014. The purpose of this report is to alert clinicians, health officials, and others to increase awareness of the need to consider MERS-CoV infection in persons who have recently traveled from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula. This report summarizes recent epidemiologic information, provides preliminary descriptions of the cases reported from Indiana and Florida, and updates CDC guidance about patient evaluation, home care and isolation, specimen collection, and travel as of May 13, 2014.