Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Cooperative Agreement Program
Funding Initiated In 1997

FY05 Funding April 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006 - $900,331

Activities Proposed for FY 05

Food Safety, Hepatitis Prevention and Control, Influenza Surveillance and Response, National Electronic Disease Surveillance System, West Nile Virus, and General Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity

Key Performance Indicators

Food Safety

• 75 percent of foodborne disease outbreaks have a preliminary report in EFORS within two months of the date the first case became ill.
• 80 percent of reported foodborne disease outbreaks have each of the following fields completed in the final EFORS report: Number of lab-confirmed cases, ages, sex, number of hospitalizations, and the number of deaths.
• The foodborne epidemiologist accompanies sanitarians on four regularly scheduled food service establishment inspections per year.

Hepatitis Prevention and Control

• Hepatitis C virus prevention is integrated into three existing programs.
• All AIDS Program funded service providers receive comprehensive viral hepatitis prevention training.
• Three hepatitis A and B immunization clinics targeting adults at risk of infection with hepatitis C have been held.

Influenza Surveillance and Response

• At least ten sentinel influenza surveillance practices are reporting ILI activity to the CDC during each influenza season.
• At least three sentinel influenza surveillance practices are reporting ILI activity to the CDC through the summer months as part of Vermont's year round sentinel influenzas surveillance program.
• Unlimited year round influenza testing is offered free of charge at the VDHL.

National Electronic Disease Surveillance System

• Case investigations are transmitted as they are completed.

West Nile Virus

• Mosquitoes trapped in every county with more than one trap night per county every two weeks.
• Report all human cases to the CDC.
• Public educational materials distributed and public outreach, including at least on information session for a senior audience, conducted in every county—At least eleven of fourteen counties had a minimum of one information session for a senior audience.

General Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity

• Collaboration between food safety officials and the Foodborne Epidemiologist as needed.
• Appropriate public health response to equine arbovirus cases.
• Timely quarterly reports to the CDC's CJD surveillance unit .

Contact Information and Links

Patsy Tassler, Ph.D.
Epidemiologist
Vermont Department of Health
108 Cherry Street
Burlington, VT 05401

Vermont Department of Health: http://www.healthyvermonters.info/