Modernizing the Objectives and Organization of Case Investigation and Contact Tracing for the 21st Century.

ABSTRACT: Case investigation and contact tracing (CICT) is a longstanding cornerstone of public health disease control efforts for a wide array of communicable diseases, though the content of CICT varies substantially depending on the infection to which it is applied, the epidemiologic circumstances, and interventions available to control an epidemic. In this article, we discuss how CICT is currently used in public health communicable disease, sexually transmitted infection/human immunodeficiency virus, and tuberculosis control programs. We then review how CICT might be modernized, considering issues such as community and health care organization engagement, workforce development, public health program organizational structure, data information systems, case prioritization, and the content to CICT.

Preventing Measles in Immunosuppressed Cancer and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Patients: A Position Statement by the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.

Until recently, measles exposures were relatively rare and so, consequently, were an afterthought for cancer patients and/or blood and marrow transplant recipients and their providers. Declines in measles herd immunity have reached critical levels in many communities throughout the United States due to increasing vaccine hesitancy, so that community-based outbreaks have occurred. The reemergence of measles as a clinical disease has raised serious concerns among immunocompromised patients and those who work within the cancer and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) community. Since live attenuated vaccines, such as measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), are contraindicated in immunocompromised patients, and with no approved antiviral therapies for measles, community exposures in these patients can lead to life-threatening infection. The lack of data regarding measles prevention in this population poses a number of clinical dilemmas. Herein specialists in Infectious Diseases and HCT/cellular therapy endorsed by the American Society of Transplant and Cellular Therapy address frequently asked questions about measles in these high-risk cancer patients and HCT recipients and provide expert opinions based on the limited available data.

Trends in Risk Factors and Symptoms Associated With SARS-CoV-2 and Rhinovirus Test Positivity in King County, Washington, June 2020 to July 2022.

Importance: Few US studies have reexamined risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 positivity in the context of widespread vaccination and new variants or considered risk factors for cocirculating endemic viruses, such as rhinovirus. Objectives: To evaluate how risk factors and symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity changed over the course of the pandemic and to compare these with the risk factors associated with rhinovirus test positivity. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case-control study used a test-negative design with multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus test positivity and self-reported demographic and symptom variables over a 25-month period. The study was conducted among symptomatic individuals of all ages enrolled in a cross-sectional community surveillance study in King County, Washington, from June 2020 to July 2022. Exposures: Self-reported data for 15 demographic and health behavior variables and 16 symptoms. Main Outcomes and Measures: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 or rhinovirus infection. Results: Analyses included data from 23 498 individuals. The median (IQR) age of participants was 34.33 (22.42-45.08) years, 13 878 (59.06%) were female, 4018 (17.10%) identified as Asian, 654 (2.78%) identified as Black, and 2193 (9.33%) identified as Hispanic. Close contact with an individual with SARS-CoV-2 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.89; 95% CI, 3.34-4.57) and loss of smell or taste (aOR, 3.49; 95% CI, 2.77-4.41) were the variables most associated with SARS-CoV-2 test positivity, but both attenuated during the Omicron period. Contact with a vaccinated individual with SARS-CoV-2 (aOR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.56-2.79) was associated with lower odds of testing positive than contact with an unvaccinated individual with SARS-CoV-2 (aOR, 4.04; 95% CI, 2.39-7.23). Sore throat was associated with Omicron infection (aOR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.68-3.20) but not Delta infection. Vaccine effectiveness for participants fully vaccinated with a booster dose was 93% (95% CI, 73%-100%) for Delta, but not significant for Omicron. Variables associated with rhinovirus test positivity included being younger than 12 years (aOR, 3.92; 95% CI, 3.42-4.51) and experiencing a runny or stuffy nose (aOR, 4.58; 95% CI, 4.07-5.21). Black race, residing in south King County, and households with 5 or more people were significantly associated with both SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus test positivity. Conclusions and Relevance: In this case-control study of 23 498 symptomatic individuals, estimated risk factors and symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection changed over time. There was a shift in reported symptoms between the Delta and Omicron variants as well as reductions in the protection provided by vaccines. Racial and sociodemographic disparities persisted in the third year of SARS-CoV-2 circulation and were also present in rhinovirus infection. Trends in testing behavior and availability may influence these results.

Genomic epidemiology of nontoxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae from King County, Washington State, USA between July 2018 and May 2019.

Between July 2018 and May 2019, Corynebacterium diphtheriae was isolated from eight patients with non-respiratory infections, seven of whom experienced homelessness and had stayed at shelters in King County, WA, USA. All isolates were microbiologically identified as nontoxigenic C. diphtheriae biovar mitis. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed that all case isolates were genetically related, associated with sequence type 445 and differing by fewer than 24 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Compared to publicly available C. diphtheriae genomic data, these WA isolates formed a discrete cluster with SNP variation consistent with previously reported outbreaks. Virulence-related gene content variation within the highly related WA cluster isolates was also observed. These results indicated that genome characterization can readily support epidemiology of nontoxigenic C. diphtheriae.

Impact of an Electronic Medical Record-Based System to Promote Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Hepatitis C Virus Screening in Public Hospital Primary Care Clinics.

BACKGROUND: United States guidelines recommend that all adolescents and adults be tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and that persons born between 1945 and 1965 be tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: We used electronic medical record (EMR) data to identify patients in 3 primary care clinics in Seattle, Washington who met national criteria for routine HCV or HIV testing and had no documented history of prior testing. Clinic staff received daily lists of untested patients with scheduled appointments. We used generalized linear models to compare the percentage of patients tested and newly diagnosed with HIV and HCV in the 18 months before and during the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 16784 patients aged 18-64 and 9370 patients born between 1945 and 1965 received care from January 2011 to December 2015. Comparing the preintervention and intervention periods, the percentage of previously untested patients tested for HIV and HCV increased from 14.9% to 30.8% and from 18.0% to 35.5%, respectively (P < .0001 for both). Despite this increase in testing, there was no change in the percentage of patients newly diagnosed with HIV (0.7% in both periods, P = .96) or HCV (3.6% vs 3.7%, P = .81). We estimate that 1.2%-15% of HCV-infected primary care patients in our medical center are undiagnosed. CONCLUSIONS: EMR-based HCV/HIV testing promotion increased testing but not case finding among primary care patients in our medical center. In our institution, most HCV-infected patients are already diagnosed, primarily through risk-based and clinical screening, highlighting the need to concentrate future efforts on increasing HCV treatment.

Collection and integration of clinical data for surveillance.

OBJECTIVE: The syndromic surveillance project at Public Health-Seattle & King County incorporates several data sources, including emergency department and primary care visit data collected and normalized through an automated mechanism. We describe significant changes made in this "second generation" of our system to improve data quality while complying with privacy and state public health reporting regulations. METHODS/RESULTS: The system uses de-identified visit and patient numbers to assure data accuracy, while shielding patient identity. Presently, we have 124,000 basic visit records (used to generate stratified denominators), and 29,000 surveillance records, from four emergency departments and a primary care clinic network. The system is capable of producing syndrome-clustered data sets for analysis. DISCUSSION: We have incorporated data collection techniques such as automated querying, report parsing, and HL7 electronic data interchange. We are expanding the system to include greater population coverage, and developing an understanding how to implement data collections more rapidly at individual hospital sites, as well as how best to prepare the data for analysis.

Personal healthcare worker (HCW) and work-site characteristics that affect HCWs' use of respiratory-infection control measures in ambulatory healthcare settings.

OBJECTIVES: To identify healthcare worker (HCW) and work-site characteristics associated with HCWs' reported use of recommended respiratory-infection control practices in primary and emergency care settings. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire for HCWs during the summer and fall of 2005. SETTING: Primary and emergency care clinics at 5 medical centers in King County, Seattle, Washington. RESULTS: Nurse professionals who reported receiving training (odds ratio [OR], 2.5 [confidence interval {CI}, 1.1-5.9]; P=.029), instructional feedback from supervisors (OR, 3.0 [CI, 1.5-5.9]; P=.002), and management support for implementing safe work practices had a higher odds of also reporting adherence to recommended respiratory precautions, compared with nurses who did not. Training was the only important determinant for adherence to respiratory precaution measures among medical practitioners (OR, 5.5 [CI, 1.2-25.8]; P=.031). The reported rate of adherence to hand hygiene practices was higher among nurse professionals who were male (OR, 2.2 [CI, 1.0-4.9]; P=.045), had infants, small children, or older adults living at home (OR, 2.2 [CI, 1.2-3.9]; P=.007), reported cleanliness and orderliness of the establishment where they worked (OR, 2.0 [CI, 1.1-3.5]; P=.019), had received respiratory-infection control training (OR, 3.2 [CI, 1.8-6.0]; P<.001), and reported fears about catching a dangerous respiratory infection at work (OR, 2.3 [CI, 1.2-4.5]; P=.011). CONCLUSION: A number of HCW and work-site characteristics associated with HCWs' use of recommended respiratory-infection control measures have been identified. These potentially influential characteristics should be considered as targets or guides for further investigation, which should include the evaluation of intervention strategies.

Appraisal of recommended respiratory infection control practices in primary care and emergency department settings.

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic and concern about pandemic influenza prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop guidelines to prevent the transmission of all respiratory infections in health care settings during first contact with a potentially infected person. The extent to which health care workers and institutions use these CDC recommended practices is uncertain. METHODS: The study examined health care worker adherence to CDC recommended respiratory infection control practices in primary care clinics and emergency departments of 5 medical centers in King County, Washington, using a self-administered questionnaire. All clinical, allied, and administrative health care workers in study settings were invited to participate: 653 (53%) responded, and 630 were included. RESULTS: The survey revealed important shortcomings in overall personal and institutional use of CDC recommended practices, including deficiencies in posted alerts, patient masking and separation, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, staff training, and written procedures. Use of recommended measures was generally higher among nursing staff than medical practitioners. CONCLUSION: This study found significant gaps in adherence to CDC recommendations for the control of respiratory infections in ambulatory care clinical settings. Practical strategies are needed to identify and reduce barriers to implementation of recommended practices for control of respiratory infections.