Changes in Access to Alcohol-Based Hand Rub and Hand Hygiene Adherence among Healthcare Workers after a Hand Rub Production and Distribution Program in Rural Uganda before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs) was critical for improving hand hygiene (HH) among healthcare workers (HCWs). Before and during the pandemic, we supported district-led production and district-wide distribution of ABHRs and one-time provision of portable handwashing stations to select healthcare facilities (HCFs) in five rural districts in Uganda. Comparison between baseline and follow-up assessments showed an overall increase in access to HH materials and HH adherence (HHA; handwashing with soap and water or use of ABHR) among HCWs. However, large differences in the changes in HH material coverage and HHA across districts may have been heavily influenced by the COVID-19 disease burden and its risk perception when the assessments were conducted. Using data collected at multiple time points before and during the pandemic across districts and estimating and controlling for pandemic effects in an exploratory multivariate analysis, the adjusted odds ratio of HHA in district HCFs was 4.6 (95% CI: 1.8-11.8) after (versus before) the ABHR intervention. This increase appeared to be primarily in larger HCFs, where the perceived need for ABHRs may have been greater. Additional strategies are needed to further increase HHA, especially in the smallest HCFs, among laboratory technicians and nurses and before patient contact. However, district-scale ABHR interventions seemed successful in ensuring the continued availability of HH materials.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Infrastructure and Resources in Schools in Belize during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2021-2023.

Access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources in schools is critical for disease prevention and control, especially during public health emergencies. In Belize, systematic, national data on WASH in schools are needed to inform public health decisions and interventions. From December 2021 to January 2022, a national survey was sent electronically to government and government-aided primary and secondary schools in Belize (N = 308) to gather information on WASH services. From the survey, 12 pilot schools were selected based on the highest self-reported need for WASH resources to participate in additional evaluation and intervention, which included environmental nudges, supplemental supply provision, and hand hygiene education. To understand how the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced hand hygiene, facility assessments to evaluate access to hand hygiene resources were conducted in person when most schools reopened for face-to-face learning during the pandemic (March 2022) and 15 months later (June 2023). Among the schools participating in the national survey (N = 221), 55% reported times when water was not available at the schools. Almost 9 in 10 schools (89%) had a functional handwashing station, and 47% reported always having soap for handwashing. Between baseline and follow-up at the 12 pilot schools, we observed decreases in the proportion of functional handwashing access points (-11%), functional handwashing access points accessible for individuals with disabilities (-17%) and small children (-29%), and functional alcohol-based hand rub dispensers (-13%). Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we observed gaps in WASH resources in schools in Belize during the onsite assessments at the pilot schools. Schools should be encouraged and provided with WASH resources to maintain vigilance for disease control measures.

Access to and Use of Hand Hygiene Resources during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Two Districts in Uganda, January-April 2021.

To understand access to and use of hand hygiene in healthcare facilities (HCFs) and community locations during the COVID-19 pandemic, we evaluated factors associated with hand hygiene in 60 priority HCFs and community locations in two border districts in Uganda. We assessed water and hand hygiene resource availability and observed hand hygiene practice by staff or patrons. Regression modeling estimated factors associated with the availability or use of hand hygiene. In HCFs, most inpatient (61%), outpatient (71%), and laboratory or staff (90%) rooms contained hand hygiene materials. Only 38% of community locations had hand hygiene materials at all entrances and exits, 35% of congregation areas had hand hygiene materials. Overall, 38% of healthcare staff, 48% of patrons post-latrine use, and 21% of patrons entering or exiting community locations practiced hand hygiene. HCF hand hygiene access was lower in inpatient rooms (odds ratio [OR] = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.45) and outpatient rooms (OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.07-0.70) compared with laboratory/staff rooms. HCF hand hygiene practice was higher for doctors than nurses (OR = 3.58, 95% CI: 1.15-11.14) and with new versus existing patient encounters (OR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.20-4.27); it was lower before versus after patient contact for both invasive (OR = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.00-0.20) and noninvasive (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45-0.95) procedures. In community settings, hand hygiene practice after using the latrine was higher than at an entrances/exits (OR = 3.39, 95% CI: 2.08-5.52). Hand hygiene rates were relatively low in healthcare and community settings. Greater emphasis on hand hygiene before patient interactions (at HCFs) and at community entrances/exits for patrons is also needed.

Improving Access to WHO Formulations of Alcohol-Based Hand Rub in Healthcare Facilities: A District-Wide Approach.

Alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) is an effective hand hygiene measure to mitigate and prevent infectious disease transmission in healthcare facilities (HCFs); however, availability and affordability in low- and middle-income countries are limited. We sought to establish centralized local production of ABHR using a district-wide approach to increase provider access at all public HCFs in Kabarole and Kasese Districts in Western Uganda. Partner organizations worked with district governments to adapt and implement the WHO protocol for local ABHR production at the district scale. These groups identified and upgraded sites for ABHR production and storage to ensure recommended security, ventilation, and air conditioning. District governments selected technicians for training on ABHR production. Raw materials were sourced within Uganda. Alcohol-based hand rub underwent internal quality control by the production officer and external quality control (EQC) by a trained district health inspector before distribution to HCFs. We assessed ABHR production and demand from March 2019 to December 2020. All ABHR batches (N = 316) met protocol standards (alcohol concentration: 75.0-85.0%) with a mean of 79.9% (range: 78.5-80.5%). Internal quality control measurements (mean alcohol concentration: 80.0%, range: 79.5-81.0%) matched EQC measurements (mean: 79.8%, range: 78.0-80.0%). Production units supplied ABHR to 127 HCFs in Kasese District (100%) and 31 HCFs in Kabarole District (56%); 94% of HCFs were small (dispensary or next higher level). This district-wide production met quality standards and supplied ABHR to many HCFs where facility-level production would be unfeasible. Low- and middle-income countries may consider district models to expand ABHR production and supply to smaller HCFs.

Use of Point-of-Care Handheld Ultrasound for Splenomegaly in United States-Bound Refugees: A Novel Technology with Far-Reaching Implications.

Ultrasound (US) is an invaluable clinical tool. New point-of-care US technology holds great promise for hard-to-reach and mobile populations such as refugees. The implementation of US in unique and challenging settings has been hindered by cost, fragility of equipment, need for uninterrupted electricity, training, and difficulty in sharing data/image files impeding quality assurance. The recent development of more flexible, durable, high-quality, low-cost, handheld US technology has offered increased potential to address many of these barriers. We describe a pilot program using a new point-of-care US technology to identify and monitor splenomegaly in United States-bound Congolese refugees. This experience and model may hold lessons for planning and development of similar approaches in other hard-to-reach mobile populations.

COVID-19 on the Nile: a cross-sectional investigation of COVID-19 among Nile River cruise travellers returning to the United States, February-March 2020.

BACKGROUND: Early in the pandemic, cruise travel exacerbated the global spread of SARS-CoV-2. We report epidemiologic and molecular findings from an investigation of a cluster of travellers with confirmed COVID-19 returning to the USA from Nile River cruises in Egypt. METHODS: State health departments reported data on real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 cases with a history of Nile River cruise travel during February-March 2020 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Demographic and epidemiologic data were collected through routine surveillance channels. Sequences were obtained either from state health departments or from the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Flu Data (GISAID). We conducted descriptive analyses of epidemiologic data and explored phylogenetic relationships between sequences. RESULTS: We identified 149 Nile River cruise travellers with confirmed COVID-19 who returned to 67 different US counties in 27 states: among those with complete data, 4.7% (6/128) died and 28.1% (38/135) were hospitalized. These individuals travelled on 20 different Nile River cruise voyages (12 unique vessels). Fifteen community transmission events were identified in four states, with 73.3% (11/15) of these occurring in Wisconsin (as the result of a more detailed contact investigation in that state). Phylogenetic analyses supported the hypothesis that travellers were most likely infected in Egypt, with most sequences in Nextstrain clade 20A 93% (87/94). We observed genetic clustering by Nile River cruise voyage and vessel. CONCLUSIONS: Nile River cruise travellers with COVID-19 introduced SARS-CoV-2 over a very large geographic range, facilitating transmission across the USA early in the pandemic. Travellers who participate in cruises, even on small river vessels as investigated in this study, are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Therefore, history of river cruise travel should be considered in contact tracing and outbreak investigations.

Establishment of District-Led Production of WHO-Recommended Alcohol-based Hand Rub (ABHR) during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Model for Improving Access to ABHR during Health Emergencies.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we established and sustained local production of alcohol-based handrub (ABHR) at district scale for healthcare facilities and community, public locations in four districts in Uganda. District officials provided space and staff for production units. The project renovated space for production, trained staff on ABHR production, and transported ABHR to key locations. The production officer conducted internal ABHR quality assessments while trained district health inspectors conducted external quality assessments prior to distribution. Information, education, and communication materials accompanied ABHR distribution. Onsite ABHR consumption was monitored by site staff using stock cards. On average, it took 11 days (range: 8-14) and 5,760 USD (range: 4,400-7,710) to set up a production unit. From March-December 2021, 21,600L of quality-controlled ABHR were produced for 111 healthcare facilities and community locations at an average cost of 4.30 USD/L (range: 3.50-5.76). All ABHR passed both internal and external quality control (average ethanol concentration of 80%, range: 78-81%). This case study demonstrated that establishing centralized, local production of quality-controlled, affordable ABHR at a district-wide scale is feasible and strengthens the ability of healthcare workers and community locations to access and use ABHR during infectious disease outbreaks in low-resource countries.

Improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), with a focus on hand hygiene, globally for community mitigation of COVID-19.

Continuity of key water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and WASH practices-for example, hand hygiene-are among several critical community preventive and mitigation measures to reduce transmission of infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases. WASH guidance for COVID-19 prevention may combine existing WASH standards and new COVID-19 guidance. Many existing WASH tools can also be modified for targeted WASH assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. We partnered with local organizations to develop and deploy tools to assess WASH conditions and practices and subsequently implement, monitor, and evaluate WASH interventions to mitigate COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa, focusing on healthcare, community institution, and household settings and hand hygiene specifically. Employing mixed-methods assessments, we observed gaps in access to hand hygiene materials specifically despite most of those settings having access to improved, often onsite, water supplies. Across countries, adherence to hand hygiene among healthcare providers was about twice as high after patient contact compared to before patient contact. Poor or non-existent management of handwashing stations and alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) was common, especially in community institutions. Markets and points of entry (internal or external border crossings) represent congregation spaces, critical for COVID-19 mitigation, where globally-recognized WASH standards are needed. Development, evaluation, deployment, and refinement of new and existing standards can help ensure WASH aspects of community mitigation efforts that remain accessible and functional to enable inclusive preventive behaviors.

Mongooses (Urva auropunctata) as reservoir hosts of Leptospira species in the United States Virgin Islands, 2019-2020.

During 2019-2020, the Virgin Islands Department of Health investigated potential animal reservoirs of Leptospira spp., the bacteria that cause leptospirosis. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated Leptospira spp. exposure and carriage in the small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata, syn: Herpestes auropunctatus), an invasive animal species. This study was conducted across the three main islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), which are St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John. We used the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), fluorescent antibody test (FAT), real-time polymerase chain reaction (lipl32 rt-PCR), and bacterial culture to evaluate serum and kidney specimens and compared the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of these laboratory methods. Mongooses (n = 274) were live-trapped at 31 field sites in ten regions across USVI and humanely euthanized for Leptospira spp. testing. Bacterial isolates were sequenced and evaluated for species and phylogenetic analysis using the ppk gene. Anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies were detected in 34% (87/256) of mongooses. Reactions were observed with the following serogroups: Sejroe, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pyrogenes, Mini, Cynopteri, Australis, Hebdomadis, Autumnalis, Mankarso, Pomona, and Ballum. Of the kidney specimens examined, 5.8% (16/270) were FAT-positive, 10% (27/274) were culture-positive, and 12.4% (34/274) were positive by rt-PCR. Of the Leptospira spp. isolated from mongooses, 25 were L. borgpetersenii, one was L. interrogans, and one was L. kirschneri. Positive predictive values of FAT and rt-PCR testing for predicting successful isolation of Leptospira by culture were 88% and 65%, respectively. The isolation and identification of Leptospira spp. in mongooses highlights the potential role of mongooses as a wildlife reservoir of leptospirosis; mongooses could be a source of Leptospira spp. infections for other wildlife, domestic animals, and humans.

Low SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence and No Active Infections among Dogs and Cats in Animal Shelters with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Human Cases among Employees.

Human-to-animal and animal-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been documented; however, investigations into SARS-CoV-2 transmission in congregate animal settings are lacking. We investigated four animal shelters in the United States that had identified animals with exposure to shelter employees with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Of the 96 cats and dogs with specimens collected, only one dog had detectable SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies; no animal specimens had detectable viral RNA. These data indicate a low probability of human-to-animal transmission events in cats and dogs in shelter settings with early implementation of infection prevention interventions.

Determination of freedom-from-rabies for small Indian mongoose populations in the United States Virgin Islands, 2019-2020.

Mongooses, a nonnative species, are a known reservoir of rabies virus in the Caribbean region. A cross-sectional study of mongooses at 41 field sites on the US Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas captured 312 mongooses (32% capture rate). We determined the absence of rabies virus by antigen testing and rabies virus exposure by antibody testing in mongoose populations on all three islands. USVI is the first Caribbean state to determine freedom-from-rabies for its mongoose populations with a scientifically-led robust cross-sectional study. Ongoing surveillance activities will determine if other domestic and wildlife populations in USVI are rabies-free.

Preventing the cross-border spread of zoonotic diseases: Multisectoral community engagement to characterize animal mobility-Uganda, 2020.

In Uganda, the borders are highly porous to animal movement, which may contribute to zoonotic disease spread. We piloted an animal adaptation of an existing human-focused toolkit to collect data on animal movement patterns and interactions to inform One Health programs. During January 2020, we conducted focus group discussions and key informant interviews with participatory mapping of 2 national-level One Health stakeholders and 2 local-level abattoir representatives from Kampala. Zoonotic disease hotspots changed in 2020 compared with reports from 2017-2019. In contrast to local-level participants, national-level participants highlighted districts rather than specific locations. Everyone discussed livestock species; only national-level participants mentioned wildlife. Participants described seasonality differently. Stakeholders used the results to identify locations for zoonotic disease interventions and sites for future data collection. This implementation of an animal-adapted population mobility mapping exercise highlights the importance of multisectoral initiatives to promote One Health border health approaches.

Barriers and opportunities for canine rabies vaccination campaigns in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Canine rabies is endemic in Ethiopia and presents a significant burden for both animal and human health. We investigate barriers to dog vaccination in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. These results can be utilized to improve and target future rabies control efforts. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: During May of 2017, dog owners were surveyed during a free canine rabies vaccination programs that utilized both door-to-door (DtD) and central point (CP) vaccination methods. Surveys collected information on preferences for rabies vaccine delivery and were administered in Amharic. A total of 1057 surveys were completed. Of those surveyed, 62.4 % indicated that their dogs had been vaccinated against rabies within the last year. Commonly reported barriers to vaccination were a lack of awareness that dogs required rabies vaccines (18.1 %) and lack of knowledge about where to find vaccine (15.0 %). The median price owners were willing to pay for vaccination was 25 birr ($0.91 USD) and the median distance willing to travel was 1.0 km; however, 48.9 % of those surveyed during DtD were unwilling to travel at all. We identified 3 classes of respondents who were grouped due to their responses by latent class analysis: 'the Unaware', 'the Vaccinators', and 'the Multiple Barriers'. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Although many respondents were willing to pay for rabies vaccine (94.0 %); the preferred cost (median) was less than the actual cost of providing the vaccine. This supports the need for reduced-cost or free vaccine to achieve and sustain the 70 % vaccine coverage target threshold for canine rabies elimination. Additionally, a significant portion (41.5 %) of those surveyed indicated that they were unwilling to travel in order to have their dog vaccinated. The latent class analysis provides useful guidance on how to reach target vaccination. Owners from 'the Unaware' group made up 18.1 % of respondents and their high rate of allowing their dogs to roam identifies them as a prime target for canine health and behavior education. 'The Multiple Barriers' owners reported lower degrees of dog roaming and were substantially more likely to be found by DtD campaigns, possibly because they have limited ability/interest in handling their dogs. These results demonstrate the importance of incorporating DtD vaccination as well as subsidies to maximize vaccine coverage in Addis Ababa.

Use of US Public Health Travel Restrictions during COVID-19 Outbreak on Diamond Princess Ship, Japan, February-April 2020.

Public health travel restrictions (PHTR) are crucial measures during communicable disease outbreaks to prevent transmission during commercial airline travel and mitigate cross-border importation and spread. We evaluated PHTR implementation for US citizens on the Diamond Princess during its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Japan in February 2020 to explore how PHTR reduced importation of COVID-19 to the United States during the early phase of disease containment. Using PHTR required substantial collaboration among the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, other US government agencies, the cruise line, and public health authorities in Japan. Original US PHTR removal criteria were modified to reflect international testing protocols and enable removal of PHTR for persons who recovered from illness. The impact of PHTR on epidemic trajectory depends on the risk for transmission during travel and geographic spread of disease. Lessons learned from the Diamond Princess outbreak provide critical information for future PHTR use.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Americans Aboard the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship.

BACKGROUND: The Diamond Princess cruise ship was the site of a large outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Of 437 Americans and their travel companions on the ship, 114 (26%) tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: We interviewed 229 American passengers and crew after disembarkation following a ship-based quarantine to identify risk factors for infection and characterize transmission onboard the ship. RESULTS: The attack rate for passengers in single-person cabins or without infected cabinmates was 18% (58/329), compared with 63% (27/43) for those sharing a cabin with an asymptomatic infected cabinmate, and 81% (25/31) for those with a symptomatic infected cabinmate. Whole genome sequences from specimens from passengers who shared cabins clustered together. Of 66 SARS-CoV-2-positive American travelers with complete symptom information, 14 (21%) were asymptomatic while on the ship. Among SARS-CoV-2-positive Americans, 10 (9%) required intensive care, of whom 7 were ≥70 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the high risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission on cruise ships. High rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity in cabinmates of individuals with asymptomatic infections suggest that triage by symptom status in shared quarters is insufficient to halt transmission. A high rate of intensive care unit admission among older individuals complicates the prospect of future cruise travel during the pandemic, given typical cruise passenger demographics. The magnitude and severe outcomes of this outbreak were major factors contributing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's decision to halt cruise ship travel in US waters in March 2020.

Public Health Responses to COVID-19 Outbreaks on Cruise Ships - Worldwide, February-March 2020.

An estimated 30 million passengers are transported on 272 cruise ships worldwide each year* (1). Cruise ships bring diverse populations into proximity for many days, facilitating transmission of respiratory illness (2). SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has since spread worldwide to at least 187 countries and territories. Widespread COVID-19 transmission on cruise ships has been reported as well (3). Passengers on certain cruise ship voyages might be aged ≥65 years, which places them at greater risk for severe consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection (4). During February-March 2020, COVID-19 outbreaks associated with three cruise ship voyages have caused more than 800 laboratory-confirmed cases among passengers and crew, including 10 deaths. Transmission occurred across multiple voyages of several ships. This report describes public health responses to COVID-19 outbreaks on these ships. COVID-19 on cruise ships poses a risk for rapid spread of disease, causing outbreaks in a vulnerable population, and aggressive efforts are required to contain spread. All persons should defer all cruise travel worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quantifying the risk of rabies in biting dogs in Haiti.

Rabies is a fatal viral disease typically transmitted through the bite of rabid animal. Domestic dogs cause over 99% of human rabies deaths. Over half of the world's population lives in a country where the canine rabies virus variant is endemic and dog bites are common. An estimated 29 million people worldwide receive post-bite vaccination after being exposed to animals suspected of rabies. Accurate and timely risk assessment of rabies in biting dogs is critical to ensure that rabies PEP is administered to all persons with a suspected rabies exposure, while avoiding PEP administration in situations where rabies can be definitively ruled out. In this study, a logistic regression model was developed to quantify the risk of rabies in biting dogs, using data from Haiti's animal rabies surveillance program. Significant risk factors identified in the model were used to quantify the probability of rabies in biting dogs. The risk of rabies in a biting dog as assessed through Haiti's rabies surveillance program was highly elevated when the dog displayed hypersalivation (OR = 34.6, 95% CI 11.3-106.5) or paralysis (OR = 19.0, 95% CI 4.8-74.8) and when the dog was dead at the time of the assessment (OR = 20.7, 95% CI 6.7-63.7). Lack of prior rabies vaccination, biting 2 or more people, and if the dog was a puppy also increased the probability that a biting dog would have rabies. The model showed high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (97%) when examined using validation data. This model enables us to project the risk of rabies in biting dogs in Haiti shortly after the bite event and make provisional PEP recommendations prior to laboratory testing or dog quarantine results. Application of this model may improve adherence to PEP for bite victims who can be educated on the quantitative risk of the exposure event. This model can also be used to reduce unnecessary PEP costs when the risk of rabies is determined as sufficiently low and the animal is available for observation.

Case Definitions Used During the First 6 Months of the 10th Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Four Neighboring Countries, August 2018-February 2019.

On August 1, 2018, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) declared its 10th Ebola virus disease (Ebola) outbreak in an area with a high volume of cross-border population movement to and from neighboring countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda as the highest priority countries for Ebola preparedness because of the high risk for cross-border spread from DRC (1). Countries might base their disease case definitions on global standards; however, historical context and perceived risk often affect why countries modify and adapt definitions over time, moving toward or away from regional harmonization. Discordance in case definitions among countries might reduce the effectiveness of cross-border initiatives during outbreaks with high risk for regional spread. CDC worked with the ministries of health (MOHs) in DRC, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda to collect MOH-approved Ebola case definitions used during the first 6 months of the outbreak to assess concordance (i.e., commonality in category case definitions) among countries. Changes in MOH-approved Ebola case definitions were analyzed, referencing the WHO standard case definition, and concordance among the four countries for Ebola case categories (i.e., community alert, suspected, probable, confirmed, and case contact) was assessed at three dates (2). The number of country-level revisions ranged from two to four, with all countries revising Ebola definitions by February 2019 after a December 2018 peak in incidence in DRC. Case definition complexity increased over time; all countries included more criteria per category than the WHO standard definition did, except for the "case contact" and "confirmed" categories. Low case definition concordance and lack of awareness of regional differences by national-level health officials could reduce effectiveness of cross-border communication and collaboration. Working toward regional harmonization or considering systematic approaches to addressing country-level differences might increase efficiency in cross-border information sharing.

Use of photography to identify free-roaming dogs during sight-resight surveys: Impacts on estimates of population size and vaccination coverage, Haiti 2016.

BACKGROUND: Enumerating dog populations is essential to plan and evaluate rabies vaccination campaigns. To estimate vaccination coverage and dog population size in a Haitian commune, 15 sight-resight counts were conducted over two days following a government-sponsored vaccination campaign. METHODS: Dogs received temporary laminated collars and livestock wax marks on the head and sides at the time of rabies vaccination. After the vaccination campaign, pairs of surveyors walked pre-defined routes through targeted neighborhoods, photographing and recording characteristics and location of each dog seen on a standardized data sheet. On the second survey day, surveyors retraced the prior day's track, followed the same procedure, and indicated in addition whether they believed the dogs were resighted from the prior day. After completion of the field survey, two independent evaluators reviewed photographs and characteristics of each dog to assess which had vaccination marks and which were resighted. Surveyor and photo-reviewer sight-resight decisions were compared using Cohen's kappa, and population estimates were compared using Lincoln-Petersen 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Field-surveyors identified dogs consistent with the photograph evaluations in 629 out of 800 instances (78.6%, Cohen's kappa of 0.12). Despite this inconsistency, the population estimates resulting from the field and final determinations were not significantly different at 1,789 (95% CI 1,677 to 1,901) and 1,978 (95% CI 1,839 to 2,118). Vaccination coverage was also the same at 55% and 56%; however, an observed vaccination mark loss of 13.8% suggests that the true coverage may have been closer to 64%. CONCLUSION: Using photos improved dog identification during the sight-resight study, leading to a higher population estimate. Despite using a 2-mark system to temporarily identify vaccinated dogs, a significant proportion had lost all identifying marks by the second day of field surveys. Efforts to estimate vaccination coverage using sight-resight surveys should consider improvement of marking techniques or better accounting for potential loss of marks in their free-roaming dog vaccination coverage assessments.

Evaluation of immune responses in dogs to oral rabies vaccine under field conditions.

During the 20th century parenteral vaccination of dogs at central-point locations was the foundation of successful canine rabies elimination programs in numerous countries. However, countries that remain enzootic for canine rabies have lower infrastructural development compared to countries that have achieved elimination, which may make traditional vaccination methods less successful. Alternative vaccination methods for dogs must be considered, such as oral rabies vaccine (ORV). In 2016, a traditional mass dog vaccination campaign in Haiti was supplemented with ORV to improve vaccination coverage and to evaluate the use of ORV in dogs. Blisters containing live-attenuated, vaccine strain SPBNGAS-GAS were placed in intestine bait and distributed to dogs by hand. Serum was collected from 107 dogs, aged 3-12 months with no reported prior rabies vaccination, pre-vaccination and from 78/107 dogs (72.9%) 17 days post-vaccination. The rapid florescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) was used to detect neutralizing antibodies and an ELISA to detect rabies binding antibodies. Post-vaccination, 38/41 (92.7%) dogs that received parenteral vaccine had detectable antibody (RFFIT >0.05 IU/mL), compared to 16/27 (59.3%, p < 0.01) dogs that received ORV or 21/27 (77.8%) as measured by ELISA (>40% blocking, p < 0.05). The fate of 291 oral vaccines was recorded; 283 dogs (97.2%) consumed the bait; 272 dogs (93.4%) were observed to puncture the blister, and only 14 blisters (4.8%) could not be retrieved by vaccinators and were potentially left in the environment. Pre-vaccination antibodies (RFFIT >0.05 IU/mL) were detected in 10/107 reportedly vaccine-naïve dogs (9.3%). Parenteral vaccination remains the most reliable method for ensuring adequate immune response in dogs, however ORV represents a viable strategy to supplement existing parental vaccination campaigns in hard-to-reach dog populations. The hand-out model reduces the risk of unintended contact with ORV through minimizing vaccine blisters left in the community.