An outbreak of pertussis in rural Texas: an example of the resurgence of the disease in the United States.

During 2012, an increase in the number of pertussis cases or outbreaks was reported among most states within the United States. The majority of these cases included previously vaccinated children between the ages of 7-10 years. This underscores the growing concern regarding current immunization practices and vaccine efficacy, especially as it pertains to pertussis prevention within this age group. In the fall of 2012, an outbreak of pertussis occurred within a school district in a rural Texas county that was reflective of this national pattern. Our objective is to describe this outbreak, highlight the similarities with the national trend, and identify strategies for better disease prevention. The cases in this outbreak were interviewed and laboratory testing done. Information regarding exposure and immunization history among cases was obtained. Immunization audits of the affected institutions were also conducted. We performed a descriptive analysis of the collected data using EPI-INFO software v.3.5.3. A total of 34 cases were identified in this outbreak, of which 23 were PCR confirmed and 11 were epidemiologically linked. Ages ranged from 5 months to 12 years, and 62 % were among children aged 7-10 years. All cases were up-to-date on their pertussis vaccinations. Immunization coverage rate was over 90 % within each of the affected institutions. The characteristics of this outbreak bear striking similarities to the current national trend in terms of age groups and immunization status of the affected cases. Increased focus on this vulnerable target group, including heightened scrutiny of vaccine efficacy and delivery, is indicated.

Epidemiology of dengue reported in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region, 2013-2019.

The global burden of dengue, an emerging and re-emerging mosquito-borne disease, increased during the 20-year period ending in 2019, with approximately 70% of cases estimated to have been in Asia. This report describes the epidemiology of dengue in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region during 2013-2019 using regional surveillance data reported from indicator-based surveillance systems from countries and areas in the Region, supplemented by publicly available dengue outbreak situation reports. The total reported annual number of dengue cases in the Region increased from 430 023 in 2013 to 1 050 285 in 2019, surpassing 1 million cases for the first time in 2019. The reported case-fatality ratio ranged from 0.19% (724/376 972 in 2014 and 2030/1 050 285 in 2019) to 0.30% (1380/458 843 in 2016). The introduction or reintroduction of serotypes to specific areas caused several outbreaks and rare occurrences of local transmission in places where dengue was not previously reported. This report reinforces the increased importance of dengue surveillance systems in monitoring dengue across the Region.

Ready to respond: adapting rapid response team training in Papua New Guinea during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Problem: Rapid response teams (RRTs) are critical for effective responses to acute public health events. While validated training packages and guidance on rolling out training for RRTs are available, they lack country-specific adaptations. Documentation is limited on RRT programming experiences in various contexts. Context: In Papua New Guinea, there remain gaps in implementing standardized, rapid mobilization of multidisciplinary RRTs at the national, provincial and district levels to investigate public health alerts. Action: The human resources needed to respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced a review of the RRT training programme and its delivery. The training model was contextualized and adapted for implementation using a staged approach, with the initiation training phase designed to ensure RRT readiness to deploy immediately in response to COVID-19 and other public health events. Lessons learned: Selecting appropriate trainees and using a phased training approach, incorporating after-training reviews, and between-phase support from the national programme team were found to be important for programme design in Papua New Guinea. Using participatory training methods based on principles of adult learning, in which trainees draw on their own experiences, was integral to building confidence among team members in conducting outbreak investigations. Discussion: The RRT training experience in Papua New Guinea has highlighted the importance of codeveloping and delivering a context-specific training programme to meet a country's unique needs. A staged training approach that builds on knowledge and skills over time, used together with ongoing follow-up and support in the provinces, has been critical in operationalizing ready-to-respond RRTs.

Challenges in Investigating a Salmonellosis Outbreak in a Correctional Facility.

Timely reporting of disease outbreak and access to the outbreak site are necessary for prompt investigation and control. Local health departments (LHDs) establish the reporting time frames, methods, and communication channels within their jurisdictions in advance. This report describes a salmonellosis outbreak investigation in a federal correctional center (FCC) that was delayed due to issues with jurisdictional ownership and with separate reporting protocols for the FCC. The setting of the outbreak within an FCC posed additional unique challenges to the outbreak investigation. These challenges resulted in the outbreak response being delayed by 6 days and inconclusive investigation. It is recommended that LHDs and FCCs work together to create an advance protocol for improved public health coordination, oversight, and response.